Fate Anew
by Eothr Si'lan
Summary: The Sword of Fate falls anew, and the lives of two intertwined souls hang in the balance. An AU to the canon, with leading lady Kuchiki Rukia replaced by the Captain of Squad 2, Soifon. IchixSoi. Rated M for Violence, Language, and Sexual Content.
1. Chance Meeting and a New Fate

Eothr: It's been…a very, _very_ long time since I was last here. God it feels good to be back! I know that some of my followers from my _Code Geass_ fanfiction are expecting me to make good on my promised sequel story, but I honestly haven't been able to find the time to watch the second season. I will do what I can in that regards, but once again, patience for a long delay is required. Now for _this_ story…this is an old dream long in the making. I really want to make this one work, and I'd especially like some support in its existence. Thank you all once again…God, it's good to be back!

Summary: The sword of Fate is neither fickle nor foul. It is absolute in its power and divinity…however, what _wields_ the sword of Fate…might just be impressionable enough to garner, shall one say, a more…_preferable_ reality to what might have been once upon a time. The sword of Fate falls, and its chosen are then bound to their destiny…even the ones granted the right to _defy_ it.

An alternate universe to the _Bleach_ manga storyline, starring Ichigo Kurosaki…and Shaolin Fon/Soifon, Captain of the 2nd Company of the 13 Court Guard Companies. Rated M for violence and language, and some sexual content.

Disclaimer: Characters and themes of _Bleach _are the property of Tite Kubo. My soul and ideas are the property of my Muse, Rhea'Onna vas Ninpou nar Tsuchi.

Rhea: (^v^) That's right!

Eothr: (T^T) She's really possessive, for a quarian…

Codex:

"Talking" – Character speech

"_Konnichiwa_" – Character speech in Japanese outside of names and attacks

'_Thinking'_ –Character thought

"**Talking**"—Hollow speech

**Narrating **–Outside Narration, usually from the manga or Author

_**Character Narrating**_–Character Narration, exclusive from character interaction

"_Zanpaku-tou Talking"_ –Specifically used for speech by Zanpaku-to spirits

"_We fear that which we cannot see" – Tite Kubo_

The deep dark of the early morning covered the sleepy province of Karakura-cho like a silken blanket, concealing the movements of a swift, petite figure. This figure, though silent as a wraith, was illuminated by the crescent moon overhead, alighting fierce charcoal eyes upon a porcelain white face, framed beneath shortly cropped ebon hair. Trailed by two body-length braids, the feminine spectre read a small parchment as she followed, of all things, a tiny black swallow-tail butterfly.

"_Strange…this is the location, and yet…the reiatsu here…"_

The being came to a halt upon a telephone pole overlooking the seemingly safe cityscape. Tearing her eyes from the missive, the woman's brow furrowed in annoyance, _"Intel has been lax…there is __**something**__ else here besides a loose Hollow…question is…_what_?"_

With a huff, the figure leapt from her perch, and was swallowed into the urban jungle.

**And so fell the Sword of Fate anew**

* * *

Chapter 1: Chance Meeting and a New Fate

Late afternoon in the town of Karakura was usually a very peaceful time for its inhabitants.

"The fuck…? You come here, stomp Yama-chin in the face, and then order us out like we was dogs?

…_usually_.

"You crazy bastard… Got a death wish? Speak!"

On this night though, one young man found himself in a distinctly less than peaceful situation following the school day. He was tall for his age, with broad shoulders that kept him from looking lanky. His frame was supple, matched by a blunt and deliberate gait as he calmly assessed the circumstances of which he was now a victim of. His face was hard and angular, and his amber brown eyes seemed to burn with a reigned passion and determination. The most startling trait of this boy, however, was his hair: orange as a bonfire, standing out in gravity-defying spikes. For many people, this was instantly a sign of "punk" stereotyping, because after all, what sensible man would dye his hair bright orange? Except…that this young man's hair was uniquely and naturally orange, a trait that led to much of the annoyances that caused his perpetual scowl and clenched jaw; not because _of_ the hair…but because of the _reactions_ of all those who chose to comment on it.

This young man was Kurosaki Ichigo, a freshman high school student and native of Karakura; and the reason he now found himself being yelled at, in a very poor dialect no less, by a number of disgruntled and agitated skateboard delinquents was because he had drop-kicked one of the poor bastards right off his board. With the initial shock worn away, Ichigo now found himself a target of attention as he scratched a small itch at the back of his head.

"Say something, you…" The thug that had been yelling thus far rushed ahead, perspiration catching on a gaudy nose-ring that clashed badly with his tanned skin. However, his charge was stopped short as the would-be target lifted his right foot to make an impromptu wall for the attacker's face.

"OOF!" Down he went.

"Dear Kami…"

"He dropped Toshi-chin!"

The companions of the now-two downed boarders were sweating bullets. They had been empowered by the "safety in numbers" variable, but that was quickly going down the drain in the face of this merciless fire-headed demon.

"This is fucked up… Real fucked up… That's one bloodthirsty berry head."

Ironically, Ichigo's nickname was "strawberry", since the first use of his name was defined as said fruit. Combined with his distinct orange hair, it lead to consistent teasing and insults, that only added to the youth's short-fused temperament.

"That guy's a total stone-cold-psycho! Mess with him and he'll **kill** you!"

By this point, Ichigo had had enough, "Shut up!" His deep voice burst forth as his foot came down on "Toshi-chin" 's head and pointed towards a street lamp, "All of you assholes look at that!"

On the ground by the lamp, a green glass bottle with small white flowers laid, the water spilling from the chipped neck as it lay on the ground. An ominous wind swept through the street as all parties set eyes upon the sad sight.

"Question One!"

The sudden shout from their angry antagonizer startled the gang members into reality as he suddenly pointed at them, a noticeable tick at the corner of his mouth, "What's that? You, smelly looking dude! You tell me!" Ichigo's target was a dumb looking lummox with eyebrow piercings and a dirty goatee.

Said "dude" pointed to himself, "Huh? M-Me? Smelly? " The last part he asked himself before responding, "Umm… An offering for some dead kid?"

"Check out the brain on Smelly!" The lean boy crossed the gap between himself and "Smelly" with a high kick that sent the buffoon reeling back.

"MITCH-CHIN!" His companion shrieked.

"Question Two!" Ichigo continued, ignoring the woeful questions of the others as they surrounded his assaulted victim, "Why is that vase…lying on its side?" At this, his voice had become deathly quiet. Now, for many people, this might simply be the actions of a person who wished for the dead to receive respect. Maybe the offering had been for a friend or family member and he intended to receive reparations. However, Kurosaki Ichigo was unique in this regard…after all, he had a special skill…

"Dat's 'cuz…" the boarders murmured in their horrible accents, "we knocked it over with our…skate…boards?" An ominous feeling overtook them as Ichigo's eyes became filled with an unholy fire (to them, anyway), "Is that so?"

Remember Ichigo's "special skill"…

"THEN YOU BETTER APOLOGIZE TO **HER,** HADN'T YOU?" he roared as he indicated the floating, _dead_ girl hovering behind him, blue fireballs dancing about her presence as red blood coated the entire left side of her face.

…**He can see ghosts**.

"AAAAAIIIIEEEE! GOMEN! GOMEN! DON'T HURT US! WE'LL NEVER DO IT AGAIN!" The remaining hoodlums screamed as the grabbed their friends and fled the scene.

"Heh…" Ichigo snorted, "I don't think they'll be back."

He turned to the little girl still floating beside him and his demeanor softened, "Sorry for using you like that."

"That's okay. I asked you to get rid of 'em," the spirit assured him with a smile, "I was glad to help."

"I'll bring…" Ichigo said as he began walking home, "fresh flowers soon."

The spirit of the dead girl smiled warmly, "_Un_. _Arigato_. Now I can rest peacefully."

"No problem," the orange-haired youth spoke as he waved behind him, "Yeah, you rest in peace."

_**It's true. I can see and talk with ghosts.**_

The teen walked the path to his house without thinking, the route ingrained to his memory as he came upon the Kurosaki Clinic, where he and his family lived.

_**My family runs the local clinic. We're entrusted with the lives of the living. Maybe there's some connection there…**_

_**I was born with the ability to see the dearly departed.**_

Ichigo opened to door to the clinic's living quarters, his and his family's house, and mumbled, "I'm home…" right before a freight-train force kick met with his face.

"YOU'RE LATE!"

As Ichigo lay in a smoldering pile on the hard-wood floor, the patriarch of the Kurosaki clan, Kurosaki Isshin, towered above his injured son with fatherly ego, "Do you know what time it is, Delinquent? Dinner in this house is at 7 o'clock sharp, every night!"

Infuriated, Ichigo rebounded from the floor right into his father's face, "You ass! Is that how you greet your son after he just helped a spirit find peace?"

But the blacked-haired Kurosaki would not be swayed, "No excuses! The rules of my house are iron! You break 'em, you gotta bleed!" He shouted with a zeal not uncommon to the old warriors of Scotts-Celtic, "Or maybe you want to rub it in my face that you can see ghosts and I can't! Why can't I have the gift? WHY?"

Likewise, the son's voice gained volume as well, "I DIDN'T ASK FOR IT!" and he lashed out at his old man, in the typical style that occurred everyday between them.

Isshin caught the fist and taunted "_Urusei_!" and joined in the ritual Kurosaki Male Bonding.

"Come on, you two! Dinner is getting cold!"

The reprimand came from a short, delicate looking girl with downy blonde-brown hair and light brown eyes. Kurosaki Yuzu, all of 11 years old, was the only maternal-like presence within the Kurosaki household. Her soft features belied a passionate little girl who loved her family-even if they were sometimes rambunctious and were late for dinner.

"Leave 'em alone, Yuzu. Leaves more for us."

Contrarily, the other female of the Kurosaki family was Karin, whose black hair and equally black eyes matched a cynical and sarcastic persona. Like Yuzu, Karin was 11 years old, but the girl was years beyond her age in maturity. Her view of her father's lunacy was exasperated at best and bored at worst.

Breaking from his father's machinations, Ichigo felt a vein pop as he pointed at his infuriating sire, "Your rules are way too strict! _Normal_ fathers don't make their teenage sons be home by 7, Oyaji!"

Suddenly, Yuzu started as she noticed a blurred, shimmering shape next to her brother, "Onii-chan, I think you have a new 'friend'…"

Said berry-head turned in shock and found a middle-aged man with dark hair and glasses smiling at him, "What the-I exorcise one, and another latches on to me! Shit!"

Karin, watching on, amusedly regarded her brother as chopsticks dangled between her lips, "He sees 'em, talks to 'em, touches 'em, and channels 'em. Must be troublesome to be such an in-demand quadruple medium, Ichi-nii."

Yuzu set down a fresh bowl of rice, silently hoping the wayward masculine half of her family would finally sit down to eat, "Well, we're bound to be a bit envious of Onii-chan. Just once I'd like to see a spirit clearly."

"Not me," Karin bluntly stated, sipping from her bowl, "I don't believe in ghosts."

"Eh? But you can see them too, Karin-chan! Only Otou-chan can't…" the younger sister mumbled, confused.

The ebon haired girl lowered her cup from her mouth, "Baka. I'm in permanent denial; if I don't believe in them, it's like they don't exist." The lost spirit and Yuzu both felt a deep chill at Karin's words, "So…here's my latest scheme…" Karin waved a small pamphlet in front of her sister, " 'Dare to tempt spirits' caresses while enjoying the first breeze of summer? Limited time only for the month of May: the Karuizawa Ghost Picnic.' "

"Damn it Karin, I'm not some side show; you're not making money off of my grief!" shrieked Ichigo at the horrifying notion of channeling specters into a public environment; it would be the end of him. Unfortunately, the brief lack in concentration was all the boy's idiot father needed.

"You let your guard down!" chirped Isshin happily, holding Ichigo in a bastardized headlock. For a second, Ichigo lay absolutely still, surprising the Kurosaki patriarch, but then launching the abusive father in a fury before stomping towards the staircase.

_**For real…**_

_**I've been able to see ghosts for as long as I can remember. I see the dead as well as I see the living.**_

_**So…**_

"Oh! Onii-chan!" Yuzu cried, saddened by the turn of events.

"Screw this! I'm going to bed!"

Karin heard her brother's shout before scrutinizing her deranged father, "He left and it's your fault, Ossan."

Isshin had the decency to look guilty, "What did I do?"

"Onii-chan's been under a lot of pressure lately. He's been saying that more and more spirits have been bothering him. He's fed up!" Chastised Yuzu, clearly upset.

"_Nani?_ He talks to you about that stuff!" Isshin asked, irked at the lack of father-son confidentiality.

As Yuzu left to make a tray of supper for her brother, Isshin crossed his arms and grunted, "That boy, why doesn't he come to _me_ with his problems?"

"Are you for real?" the elder Kurosaki's neck snapped towards his dark-haired daughter with an audible crack, "I wouldn't trust you with deep issues, either. You're an old man but you act like a four-year old."

"Ehhh!" Isshin slumped against the wall, head resting against a giant poster of a gorgeous strawberry-blonde woman emblazoned with '_Masaki Forever'_, "Oooh…Kaa-san, it must be because of the hormones, but our dear children treat me like a leper. Whatever shall I do?"

"First, take down that ridiculous memorial poster, Oyaji" deadpanned, Karin.

_**The existence of the Shinigami…**_

The door to Ichigo's room slammed shut, a plaque with the number "15" clinking against the wood, "Dammit, why does that old goat have to be such a freak?"

A slight sound, almost like a chime, caught the teen's ears as he looked up to see a peculiar sight, "A black swallow-tail butterfly? Where'd it come-?" The youth's thoughts were cut short as he saw something else…

_**Had never crossed my mind**_.

Kurosaki Ichigo saw before him the most beautiful young woman he had ever seen—who seemed to have incidentally formed out of _thin air_ on top of his desk. A petite, lithe frame supported by long legs hidden beneath a thick, black hakama ; a yellow obi was tied about her waist, contrasting with the shadowy black of her kimono; porcelain white skin, from the end of her elbow-length gloves to the generous amount of _bare_ back, gleamed under the scant moonlight; the muscles he saw were wiry and taut, perfect examples of a martial artist; her short, ebon black hair was attached by two body-length braids wrapped in white cloth; high cheekbones were accented by angular eyes and small lips; an azure and gold sheath hung sideways at the back of her waist.

So captivated was Ichigo that he jumped in surprise as the woman dropped to his bedroom floor, nondescript Chinese shoes making the softest of taps, and looked about confusedly. Ichigo realized his throat was dry and swallowed before calling out, "Onna-san?"

She didn't respond, and Ichigo felt a small bit of anger creep into his now strengthening voice, "Oi!"

Startled, the woman turned about, hand resting on the hilt of her weapon as her eyes found his…

If Ichigo had been stunned before, he was now paralyzed. Her eyes were like charcoals, a smoky black color that burned as hot as any flame. The way they analyzed him, judged him, reminded him of a skilled and relentless hunter close to the kill. He noticed, off-handedly, that her eyes were lighter and more intense than those of his longtime friend, Arisawa Tatsuki. He also couldn't help but notice, warmth spreading to his cheeks as a result, the revealing amount of skin her outfit showed from the front.

For her part, the woman felt nothing short of absolute shock as she became lost in the fiery brown orbs of this boy. They were blazing with an unrealized potential and underlying passion—but more importantly, here before her exists a _mortal_ who can _see_ her. This wasn't in the briefing missive at all! "You…can see me?" she queried.

'_Damn it, even her voice is gorgeous …'_ shaking his orange-haired head clear, the youth stared directly into her eyes, lest she kill him outright for ogling her, "Yes, I can. By your confusion, can I take it that you're a spirit of some kind?"

"_Hai_." The fierce looking woman relaxed, if only slightly, her narrowed eyes never leaving his. She gauged him for a moment before crossing her arms, "I am a Shinigami."

An orange brow piqued as the words settled in, Ichigo's jaw going slack, "A…shinigami?

* * *

A tremor rippled across the night air. Power laced through the living reishi as a sloshing thud sounded from the "corpse" of a small spirit girl hitting the pavement.

Monstrous forms…yellow eyes…blood-soaked teeth…

'_**Close…ssssooo close…'**_

* * *

Arms crossed and frown deepened, Kurosaki Ichigo regarded the woman before him with scrutinizing eyes, "I'm sorry, but…I'm having difficulty believing that…"

Soul Society? Hollows? All of it sounded ludicrous, but something…primal was forcing Ichigo to consider it…something he couldn't quite shake off from his usual refusal of acknowledging such things.

The female Shinigami seemed offended—and why she looked even more attractive with a scowl evaded Ichigo's hormone addled thoughts—and regarded him incredulously, "You can see the spirits of the dead, yet can't believe what I've told you?" Really, hadn't he heard the stories of the Shinigami , the ferocious and soul-herding gods of death?

"I'm sorry, but I've never even heard of Shinigami. No one really talks about them, if at all," Ichigo wondered if the girl even knew what the modern world was like; it was a stark contrast to the world she looked to have come from, almost like the Sengoku era. "Is there any way to prove what you've said?" He asked, hoping to compromise. Strange, as he normally would have just put his foot down on what was and wasn't…damn hormones.

The petite woman nodded, then drew her sword, a wakizashi with a gold hilt as she rushed Ichigo, faster than his startled eyes could register. In an instant she was right beside him—was that chamomile he smelled?—the flat of the hilt pressed against the forehead of the old spirit that had followed him home.

"P-please…I-I-I don't want to go t-to Hell…" the middle aged soul pleaded, tears welling behind his glasses.

The woman removed her sword from the spirit's forehead, unveiling a small glowing Kanji, "Do not assume anything, lost one. I am sending you to Soul Society, a _far_ more peaceful realm than that of Hell." Her voice had softened, if only a little, as the old man disappeared into dust. All that remained was another black swallow-tail butterfly leaving Ichigo's room through the window.

The young man stood agape as the petite Shinigami before him sheathed her sword, "Wha-what happened, just now?" Ichigo plopped onto his bed staring at the black-haired woman in awe.

Preening ever so slightly under the due praise, she kneeled upon the floor in the seiza position, resting her blade by her leg, "I performed a _konsou_—a soul burial—upon that lost soul that seemed to be attached to you. Known as "passing on" by mortals, it is one of the principal duties of a Shinigami." Gazing directly into the captivated boys eyes, she continued, "The other, more prominent duty is the subjugation and purification of Hollows, evil souls whose hearts have been lost."

For a few seconds, silence reigned as this new information sunk in. Then, with a growing sense of dread, Ichigo asked, "Well, now that you exorcised that spirit, you've got others to pass on…right?"

With trepidation, the somber woman shook her head, "I'm afraid I'm not quite finished with my mission yet. There have been reports of Hollow activity in the vicinity of this particular province; my investigation led me here, to your house." She saw fear growing in his eyes; for some reason, she did not like that look in his previously blazing orbs.

"These Hollows…" he asked, swallowing a lump past his throat, "what…makes them evil?"

The look in the female's eyes opposite him boded no comfort, "They eat the souls of others to replace the emptiness in their own souls. They are usually attracted to—?"

The woman's voice stopped as the color drained from the young man's face and his auburn eyes seemed to lose focus. "What is it?" one hand clenched the sword at her side.

The youth's face readjusted to hers, the irises in his eyes trembling, "Y-you're kidding right? You didn't hear that unholy howl…?"

Eyes widened in realization, '_Unholy howl? But that would mean—?_'

"**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!"**

Dense, vile reiatsu emanated about them; the horrible aura of a Hollow.

'_But something's wrong,_' the female Shinigami thought, tension straining her muscles as adrenaline pumped through her body, '_the reiatsu…and even the Hollow's howl itself seem…static. As if a spiritual filter were nullifying part of it, lessening its density. But what—?_'

It was then that the women snapped her head towards the young man before her; their eyes locked as a sudden revelation began to form, '_Could he…? This boy sensed the Hollow before I did, so that must mean…_'

"AAAAAIIIEEEEEE!"

Shock gave way to terror as the high-pitched scream pierced the fog of the evil aura, "That…was Yuzu's voice…" Fear, the likes of which he had not felt since six years ago, laced through his body, urging him to rescue his family. He bounded for the bedroom door, thoughts racing madly.

'_Baka!_' "Bakudou no Yon: Hainawa! (Way of Binding the Fourth: Crawling Rope!)"

From outstretched fingers, a golden yellow rope of pure energy wrapped around Ichigo tightly following the woman's words. Ichigo struggled against his glowing prison, frenzied eyes trained upon her, "What the fuck! What is this?"

"A _kidou_ binding spell; it's a special skill reserved for Shinigami use only. You can't recklessly rush into a situation you don't fully comprehend, fool!" Her voice had hardened, charcoal eyes unsympathetic. She reached for the door handle and turned to him, "Just stay here. I'll take care of the Hollow."

"Are you fucking nuts?" Ichigo screamed, barely able to stand from the heaviness on his torso, "That's my _family_ being attacked down there! You can't honestly expect me to stay out of it?"

"Yes! That's _exactly_ what I expect! That power you feel belongs to a Hollow! What can you possibly—?" The door had a last been opened, releasing a _huge_ amount of dormant reiatsu from the room akin to a pressure rupture. Startled, the petite Shinigami could barely fathom the source of such spiritual power…although she had her suspicions.

Just then, a harsh, ragged breathing caught both persons' ears. On the floor of the hallway, red blood dripping from a wound from her temple, Ichigo's eldest sister pulled herself into the doorway, "Ichi-nii?"

Everything stopped for Kurosaki Ichigo as saw his sister, his precious family, injured and bleeding:

_Cold rain falling heavily…_

_The roaring river overflowing…_

_Blood…_

_Blood everywhere…_

_Warmth long gone from body…_

Horror welled within the orange-haired boy. His sister spoke, "Good, it…it hasn't come this way. Ichi-nii…something…big hit Oyaji; his back blew open…there was a lot of blood. I…I couldn't get a good look at it…came to get you…Ichi-nii…run…" Darkness and pain finally claimed the young Kurosaki. The small woman knelt beside her, checking her vitals.

"She'll be okay, it's just exhaustion. I'll try to heal what I can, but—?" Sounds of grunts reached her ears as she felt the trembling reiatsu. This…this human _boy_ was trying to break the binding spell placed upon him through pure will power? "Stop that! You can't comprehend the structure of the binding spells; if you force it away from your soul, you could cause irreparable damage to yourself!"

But the young man would not be swayed. Rage mixed with his fear and drowned out all other noise as the energy bindings began to unravel. A howling noise began to stir as the power of the spell destabilized.

A measure of panic found its way into the petite female's voice as she witnesses this, "Don't! You'll kill yourself! The spell is too strong for a human to—?"

**-_SNAP!-_**

She stopped short, eyes disbelieving. The _Hainawa_ disappeared, its reiatsu diminished. The orange-haired youth side-stepped her, a baseball bat in hand; she watched him rush down the stairs, confusion and anxiety marring her features, '_This guy…_'

His heart drummed in his chest as Ichigo ran towards the kitchen. His ears were ringing as scenario after scenario played in his mind. He couldn't lose them…not now…

Entering the kitchen, the youth took in the carnage. Spotting his black-haired father on the floor, dark liquid gathering beneath him, Ichigo looked for the last member of his family when he saw _it_.

Beyond the large, ugly hole in the wall of the clinic's kitchen, stood nothing short of a demon. Over ten feet tall, its huge arms and legs sprouting from a muscular torso; its skin was a pasty, sickly off-white; its face was something akin to a fish, with feral yellow eyes.

Ichigo's initial fear magnified tenfold. He felt his body lock in self-preservative paralysis, eyes wide and breath short. Out of all the scenarios, this was _not_ one of them. '_That's a Hollow? When she said evil spirit, I'd expected some kind of human, but it's a monster!_' He grabbed his quaking arm, the one holding the bludgeon, '_damn it, stop shaking!_'

The Hollow moved, and Ichigo caught sight of his little sister, being held in the pale behemoth's hand, "Yuzu!"

The little girl, terrified by the invisible force harming her family, turned shaky eyes to her brother; there was a cut beneath her right eye flowing freely, "Onii-chan?"

"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHH!" Fury clenched around Ichigo's heart, making his lead-filled legs move. The baseball bat came up, murderous intent behind the would-be crippling blow. There was a flash of white, as the large beast's fist knocked the boy aside; pain erupted as he struggled to regain composure. Coughing, Ichigo realized that his chosen weapon was smashed beyond repair, and his enemy was closing quickly.

Ichigo watched, helpless, as a massive fist raised for the final blow, '_shit…_'

There was a blur of gray, and the Hollow shrieked at the pain the laceration in its arm. The smallest Kurosaki child flew, the beast dropping her in shock. Ichigo reacted quickly, forgetting his own fear, "Yuzu!"

Catching his sister before further harm could befall her, the youth tried to wake her now unconscious form, "Yuzu? Yuzu!"

"Calm down, you fool!" The girl from earlier, the Shinigami, scolded as she landed, her sword held in a reverse grip in her right hand. "None of your family is dead! Their souls are still within their bodies; after this Hollow is purified we can work on healing them, but you must now focus!" Her tone was harsh and her eyes were hard. _This_ was a Shinigami

"But why is that thing attacking us? I thought you said it fed off other souls! So why?" The boy looked frantic and angry, and he wanted answers.

"I have never known of a human that could see a Shinigami."

Startled, Ichigo watched the back of the woman before him. What was she talking about?

"I have never recalled a human that could hear the cry of a Hollow," she turned, casting smoldering grey eyes on his amber ones. "_Never_ has there been a human that could shatter a _bakudou kidou_ by sheer will power…" For a brief moment, the harshness in her eyes subsided and Ichigo saw sympathetic pain in those captivating eyes. "Hollows are drawn to high levels of reiatsu, the spiritual power, of other souls, dead _or_ living."

Harrowing clarity claimed Ichigo's mind as the pieces began to fall into place, '_S-sou na…_' (1)

"I believe," the petite Shinigami continued, eyes locked with the young man, "that this Hollow had been attracted… to _your_ reiatsu…"

The Hollow, having grown accustomed to the pain in its arm, lumbered towards the one who injured it, gleefully inhaling the scent of powerful reiatsu. The Shinigami's focus was obscured by the somewhat shrill tone of the boy behind her, "Fuck…you're saying…that all of this…Yuzu and Karin…and Otou-san on the ground bleeding…" It was too much, far too horrible for him to comprehend. This was just like last time… "This is all…'cause of me…?"

"That's not—!" She was about to offer him some consolation, if that were even possible, but the Hollow finally remade its entrance. She was completely blindsided by a backhanded fist, pain coursing through her small frame as she crashed into the street wall.

"Shinigami!" Ichigo cried out, unsure of what to do. He set Yuzu on the street and stood, crazed thoughts fueled by self-loathing and hatred for the Hollow, "You ugly motherfucker…I'll take you on!"

Shaking rubble off her body, the Shinigami woman berated herself for her mistake, '_it was only a plain, rank and file Hollow! How did I let myself fall for such an attack?_' Suddenly, the movement outside caught her attention. The human boy from earlier was facing down the Hollow, as if challenging it. '_That FOOL!_'

The next second happened faster than either party could perceive…

Flash of white teeth…

Swish of black robes…

Gleaming blade meeting dull bone…

Stunned, Ichigo saw the Shinigami woman had stabbed the length of her sword through the Hollow's mouth…which was wrapped around her body, spilling blood from her wounds. The Hollow reared back, shrieking in pain, and the black-haired female fell back into his arms, "Oi, Shinigami!"

She turned her eyes on him, harsh in her scrutiny, "Baka, what were you thinking?" Her entire body ached. In hindsight, she vaguely remembered the seal on her powers, but that option wasn't feasible. It would take too long to fully restore her strength, and the Hollow had only been given a superficial wound; it _would_ kill them.

Ichigo gritted his teeth in agitation, '_Damn it…this is all my fault…we're all going to die because of __**me**__!_'

Seeing the look of desperation in his eyes, the young woman realized that there was one option…only one…that she could use to rectify the situation; however, the ramifications of said action were _far_ beyond her comprehension, '_but that doesn't matter now…surviving __**does**_.'

"Do you want to save them?"

Startled, Ichigo looked down into the eyes of the woman he held; they were burning, "I said, do you want to save your family?"

The briefest of hesitations passed as the two youths shared an understanding, "Tell me how."

The sheen of her sword reflected the moonlight as she pressed the tip of it against his chest, "You must impale yourself upon this Zanpaku-tou, this soul severing blade, and receive a portion of my Shinigami powers. What little I give you should be enough to slay that Hollow…" she was tired; perhaps she had been injured more greatly than she realized.

There was something in his eyes…something powerful and terrifying at the same time: trust. When was the last time anyone had looked at her with such eyes…? "Alright, let's do this Shinigami."

A smirk broke through her exhaustion, "Not 'Shinigami'. I'm…"

'_Niibuntai Taichou, Soifon_' The woman thought on instinct, but surprised herself when different words, words full of trust, left her lips.

"Shaolin…Fon Shaolin…" She barely heard herself as she saw the young man smile ever so slightly.

"Ah. Kurosaki Ichigo. Nice to meet you; hopefully not for the last time." He braced himself as they both shoved the blade through his chest into his heart.

This whole time, the Hollow had been regaining itself, and was now charging the two on the ground. It was just before them when a fierce, bright light exploded from their position. The Hollow was held in place as power completely overwhelmed it. Confused, the beast looked through the light to see its prey when there was a new pain: its left arm was severed at the bicep. Shock stilled its scream as a new, _powerful_ presence appeared behind it, emanating delicious smelling reiatsu.

The young man kneeled on the asphalt street, cloaked in an ebon shihakushou; around his torso there was a blood-red chain of diamond shaped prayer beads; in his hand was the largest and strangest Zanpaku-to Soifon had ever seen. There was no hilt or guard; the shape of it was like that of a crescent moon, or a butcher cleaver if one thought less romantically about it; a long, thick white cloth flapped from the end of the handle, which was also wrapped in the cloth.

Soifon was stunned. Left only in a simple white kimono, clutching her wounds, she regarded the empowered youth with wide eyes, '_bakana…I only meant to give him the barest trace of my powers, enough to manifest a simple Asauchi…but this…this feels like a lieutenant's reiatsu, if not a captain's! That blade…it's not sealed, is it…?_'

The boy rushed his opponent, faster than the Hollow could move, and cleaved the beast in two at the waist, causing the screaming Hollow to begin falling forward towards its executioner. Ichigo looked up at it with fierce, glowing eyes.

Soifon stared in awe as this perpetual greenhorn executed his movements _flawlessly_. '_Never have I felt such raw reiatsu from a human…the size of one's Zanpaku-tou is reflective of the wielder's power…_'

'_Never have I seen such a huge Zanpaku-tou!_' The blade came up as the youth roared, "This is for my family, you fish-faced son of a bitch!"

It was a perfect kill. The cleaver blade divided the Hollow in two, disintegrating under Ichigo's pressing reiatsu. The boy could no longer keep standing as exhaustion claimed him; as the ground rushed to meet him, the black-haired girl caught his body and set him down gently. Absentmindedly, thin fingers traced his face and felt his orange hair.

'_Just what __**is**__ this man…_'

* * *

Eothr: (-_-) yattaaaa…that was _hard_…

Rhea: (^v^) Yea! You did it!

Eothr: Just a few things before I get going:

At point (1): I believe this to be the Japanese phrase for "no way". Haven't heard it in a while, so I might be a bit rusty.

Soifon is a captain level Shinigami, so that means two things: 1) she had the limiter removal on, so that was why the Hollow was even able to hurt her and in an injured state it would take too long to release, plus the backlash would have summoned another Hollow; 2) because Soifon's a captain, Ichigo would have become _much_ more powerful after the reiatsu transfer, so that's why he has Zangetsu right from the get-go.

I may or may not have Soifon teach him about calling Zangetsu's name. It would kind of defeat the purpose of Urahara's training if she did. On that note, **NO,** Urahara will _not_ be directly interacting with Soifon as her goods provider because it would diminish the purpose of Urahara and Yoruichi hiding from Soul Society. I will plan something out, but please have patience.

Rather than a "love at first sight" scenario between Ichigo and Soifon, I tried to emphasize an "attraction at first sight" dynamic. I only hope I was able to maintain Soifon's disciplined personality.

At first, I was going to correlate my chapters with the manga…but then I realized it would take over 200 chapters just the get through the Soul Society arc, and Rhea called me "bat-shit crazy" for it. I'll find a way to contain the entire arc into a decent sized story, but I'm still in the wood-works. That said, this will probably be the only chapter that is directly linked with a chapter from the manga; all others will be more loosely written.

Thank you for reading and please leave reviews!

Rhea: (^-^) Ja ne!


	2. A New Conviction and the First Lesson

Eothr: First things first; my deepest and sincerest condolences to **XXXG-01D** for her tragedy. My prayers go with her, that she may one day return. Next, apologies; thank you all very much for your patience. It was inexcusable of me to have left my story so, but circumstances have since calmed down for me. I never lost the idea for this story, and so continued to dream and fathom its growth. Furthermore, I wish to express my gratitude to **redwarrioroflight** for his zeal and efforts; I wish him luck in his own "Fate Anew" story. Lastly, the poll on which two Shinigami go after Soifon is still active. I will leave comments on the choices and which one I prefer, so go to my profile and vote. *Edit: I forgot, only one vote per unique voter, damn...sorry, my bad...

I am grateful to be back, however disgraceful my return may be.

This chapter is dedicated to **XXXG-01D**.

Disclaimer: Characters and themes of _Bleach _are the property of Tite Kubo. My soul and ideas belong to my Muse, Rhea'Onna vas Ninpou nar Tsuchi

Codex:

"Talking" – Character speech

"_Konnichiwa_" – Character speech in Japanese outside of names and attacks

'_Thinking__'_ –Character thought

"**Talking**"—Hollow speech

_**Character **__**Narrating**_–Character Narration, exclusive from character interaction

"_Zanpaku-tou __Talking__"_ –Specifically used for speech by Zanpaku-tou spirits

"_People have hope, because they cannot see Death standing behind them" – Tite Kubo_

Darkness…darkness ever present…

Ichigo felt pressed by the inky blackness that encompassed his surroundings, the oppressive shadows a suffocating blanket. He could hear whispers in the dark…faint, ethereal things that made no sense. The boy ran, footfalls roaring in silence. His breath was ragged, lungs heavy and taxed; he began to make out shapes in the distance…the barest traces of light in the void. He drew closer, ill feelings sinking into his gut; what chilling dread he felt…

Then, he saw them; his family, safe and unharmed. His father was kneeling, holding both Yuzu and Karin in his arms. Isshin looked up from his daughters, and Ichigo's relief was swept away; the Kurosaki sire's eyes were filled with grief.

"Thank you, my son. You saved us. But…the girl…" the once joyful voice was haggard and thick. Fresh tears were evident along his tanned face. His gaze had fallen to something…some_one_ behind his son.

The orange-haired youth turned in horror; there, lying in a pool of blood, was the pale-skinned Shinigami he had only just met. He was beside her in an instant, clasping her ice cold hands in his shaking ones. The girl's eyes fluttered, once dark orbs dimmed a milky grey.

"Well done…" Her voice rasped, claiming all her remaining strength in those small words; she was dying.

He had no words to say; what _could_ he say. She had saved him, him and his family both, all because _he_ had fucked up. It was because of him she was dying…because of him…_again_…

For the first time in years, tears came unrestrained to his eyes; the sparkling drop trickled across tense cheeks, taut from clenching his teeth. A small, cool touch brushed his face. Amber and charcoal met again…

"…farewell…"

* * *

Chapter 2: A New Conviction and the First Lesson

"NO!"

Ichigo gasped, sitting straight up and reaching his hand out in desperation. He was in his room, in his bed. Sunlight filtered through his bedside window, basking him in warmth. He was home.

The ginger-haired youth clutched his face in relief, '_A __dream__…__nightmare__…__did __everything __last __night-!_' The passing fear returned at speed, '_Yuzu! __Karin! __Dad!_'

The next moment, a brightly colored blur burst in through his door, "GOOOOD MOORRRNING ICHIIIGOOOO!" The double-heel high-kick belonging to one Kurosaki Ishhin was stopped short by Ichigo's mattress, where his son _should_ have been sleeping. The flamboyant patriarch squawked in surprise as gravity turned back on, sending him to the floor in a heap

Ichigo didn't allow himself to feel shocked. He was by his father's side in an instant, "Dad, are you alright? Where are the girls? Are they hurt?"

Isshin blinked dumbly at his son's rapid-fire and confusing questions. Hurt? "What are you talking about, Ichigo?"

Said boy took a minute to regain his thoughts and looked his father over. There wasn't a scratch, bruise, burn, abrasion, or any other kind of injury present on his father's person. "So Yuzu and Karin are…okay?" Ichigo asked tentatively, letting his father sit up from the floor of his room.

The beginnings of a smile tugged at the black-haired Kurosaki's lips, "Why wouldn't my darling girls be okay, my addle-minded son? A gas-main explosion from the street isn't remotely enough to harm our family!"

Ichigo felt a twitch in his left eye, "Gas…main…explosion?"

Once outside, a now irritated Ichigo surveyed the carnage of his home's kitchen wall. Asphalt rubble from the "explosion" littered the interior and metal pieces from the "gas-main" covered the entryway of the clinic. He caught a portion of the statement made by a local news reporter woman, just outside the doors "The gas company claims that a rupture in the line caused a leak and was ignited from a spark of some kind. The investigation is still trying to piece together what happened, despite there being no witnesses. Province officials are meeting…"

'_The __whole __thing__…__and __every thing __last __night__…'_ Ichigo rubbed his forehead in frustration, his memories flashing erratically.

…

…

…_petite, __lithe __frame __supported __by __long __legs __hidden __beneath __a __thick, __black __hakama__…__eyes __like __charcoals, __a __smoky __black __color __that __burned __as __hot __as __any __flame__…"__You__…__can __see __me?__" … "__I __am __a _Shinigami_.__"…_

"_These Hollows…what…makes them evil?"…_

"_**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!****"**…_

"_AAAAAIIIEEEEEE!"…_

_**SNAP!**..._

_he __saw _it_…__a __demon__…_

"_Do you want to save them?"…_

"_Shaolin…Fon Shaolin"…_

"_This is for my family, you fish-faced son of a bitch!"_

…

…

Could it really have all been a dream…?

Ichigo glanced up at the clock and froze. '_Oh,__crap!_' In an instant he was in his room, scrambling for his uniform, "Damn it, you old bastard, why'd you let me sleep in?"

Within minutes, a hastily clothed and sprinting Ichigo made his way towards Karakura High School; he prayed he wouldn't be late.

* * *

At Karakura High School, the population of students amassed at varying speeds. Among the throng of adolescents, two young women, one with waist-length chestnut hair and the other with short-and-spiky black hair, walked side-by-side. The brunette girl laughed loudly at her companion, regaling at a supposedly funny moment.

"HA HA HA, oh you should have seen it Tatsuki-chan, it was so funny!" Said girl, Arisawa Tatsuki, shook her head with a gentle, patient smile. Hefting her book bag behind her shoulder, the lithe teen patted her more voluptuous friend on her head, as if she were an excitable puppy, "I'm sure, Orihime, but you know I don't have time for much TV…"

The smiling teen, Inoue Orihime, only laughed some more, enjoying her friend's company. The two continued past the mass of students into the building, reaching their classroom as the bell tolled for the day's start. Tatsuki noticed a lacking presence and moved to address a short teen with oily dark hair, "Oi, Mizuiro! Don't you normally come to school with Ichigo?"

A lanky brown-haired male sitting beside the (not so) suddenly popular Kojima Mizuiro balked incredulously at her interruption, "No fair, Arisawa! I was just gonna ask the same thing!"

An angry tick strained at Tatsuki's twitching eye, "Too bad, Keigo!" The mousey Asano Keigo cringed under her "evil eye". Mizuiro frowned apologetically, "Sorry Arisawa-san, but I don't think he'll be in. On my way over, there were a ton of emergency vehicles blocking the street to the clinic; apparently a gas main in the street exploded and damaged the building (so his Dad kept saying)."

Immediate fear struck the group as Orihime gasped in shock, Keigo paled, and Tatsuki began shouting in a panicked voice, "GAS MAIN? WHAT ABOUT THE GIRLS? AND ICHIGO? ARE THEY-?"

"SAAAAAAFE!" All four jumped at the booming voice of said Strawberry, who burst through the classroom door, disheveled and panting like a maniac. Orihime felt relief, and her heart flutter, as she saw him, '_Thank __goodness__…_' Then she blushed as she noticed his state of dress. His khaki pants were unfastened, slipping just below waistline to reveal dark black boxers and his white shirt was only partially buttoned, leaving a fair amount of finely-toned, sweaty torso exposed as he had forgotten an undershirt. "MEEP!" the mortified girl squeaked as she turned away from the object of her affection.

Tatsuki sighed, shaking as the adrenaline died down, and approached her long time friend, "Ichigo, don't scare us like that! Next time something blows up in front of your place, call one of us, _baka_!"

The orange-haired youth gulped in air, before panting out, "Sorry…just found out…this morning…slept through it…" A comical cry of "NANI?" burst from the fiery girl, "How do you sleep through a GAS MAIN EXPLOSION?"

Ichigo shrugged, his breathing less frenzied now as he stood straight, just shy of a head taller than his old Karate partner. The black-haired girl looked him over, a rosy tint dusting her cheeks, before slapping his shoulder, "Oi, freshen up; you're scaring people."

"Huh?" Ichigo stared for a second before looking at himself; the blush matched nicely with his orange hair as he set about fixing his wardrobe. A loud smack accompanied be a painful throb met the back of Ichigo's head as the class teacher, one Ochi Misato, huffed at her delinquent student, "While stripping _can_ be considered a fine art, Kurosaki, please refrain from practicing during class hours."

The belittled teen mumbled an apology before moving to his seat, clothes set properly. The dark-haired teacher moved to the head of the class, setting down her attendance book (read: the-vile-and-evil-means-by-which-to-unfairly-punish-Kurosaki) and addressed the teens, "Before we get started, I want to introduce a new student to you guys. She just transferred today, so I want you all the make her feel welcome; no pranks on the newbie, you hear me?" Ochi-sensei deadpanned, noting a few obvious faces (i.e. Keigo).

A few murmurs flitted through the ranks as their teacher reached the door and motioned at someone. This late in the year, and in summer no less, who would transfer schools? Their curiosity peaked, the students in Ichigo's class stilled as soft foot-falls echoed in the unseen hallway. Ichigo didn't care too much, as a yawn escaped him. He was still tired, and couldn't stop thinking about the night before.

When the new student entered the room, Ichigo took notice. Immediately. Mid-yawn. With wide eyes and a fierce blush. Because standing there in a white cotton button-up and grey mini-skirt and a bright red bow-tie was the Chinese-looking girl he had met not 12 hours ago, the Shinigami. She too was blushing, but obviously in embarrassment, her small fists pulling at the hem of her skirt, which only made prominent the creamy pale softness of her long legs. Her _really_ long legs.

Ichigo stared, shamelessly, as the petite girl with the black hair and long braids complied with Ochi-sensei's request to write her name on the blackboard. The whisperings around him were annoying, especially the ones from the other guys. _Especially_ those ones.

The ginger-haired youth stared, in silent awe, as the raven-haired girl wrote out in Hiragana and Mandarin Chinese her name. Ichigo couldn't understand the foreign characters, but imagined they were direct translations. She then turned to the class and bowed stiffly.

"_Ohaiyo __gozaimasu,_" there was a small accent that Ichigo had not picked up on, "my name is Fon Shaolin, but I would prefer if you called me 'Soifon', for that is the name I earned from my grandmother before her passing. Thank you for your kindness." She did not smile, but scanned the classroom until her charcoal eyes met the Strawberry's amber ones. She then proceeded to walk in his direction, between the aisles of students. Ichigo continued to watch, captivated, as she moved towards him. Suddenly, her foot caught in a desk leg and she began tumbling forward.

He never felt himself move. He never fathomed the thought of moving. In the space of a second, he had gone from sitting in his desk, to standing in front of the young woman clutching her shoulders to hold her steady. Her head was ducked down, nearly pressed against his chest as a startled "_Sumimasen_" escaped her lips. Ichigo then steadied her, mumbling "No problem," before letting her pass to sit in the desk adjacent to his. He then sat down himself, attempting to ignore the hushed whispers firing off.

"_Did __you _see _that?__"_

"_How'd he move so fast?"_

"_When __did _Kurosaki _get __so __bold?__"_

"Alright, alright, settle down, you hooligans," Ochi-sensei muttered half-heartedly. She opened her book and started taking attendance. Ichigo stared at the clock as a different whisper toyed with his mind;

"_We need to talk; soon."_

Yes…yes they did…

* * *

The bell for lunch eventually rang. Ichigo packed his bag as he watched Soifon begin walking out the room; when enough distance was between them, Ichigo too made to leave. He was cut off as a flying Keigo crashed into him.

"Strawberry! Let's eat lunch together!" The animated brunette cried out happily.

His answer was a smoldering bonk on the head and a scowling Ichigo, "_Baka __yarou_, not today! I've gotta check on my family, got it?" This of course received a series of thoughtful nods. Yes, that made sense.

Ichigo was finally able to pass the throng of students and enter the hallway. Soifon was nowhere to be seen. The orange-haired teen quickly glanced both ways before catching the tail end of two distinctive hair-braids; he moved to follow.

After a mildly amusing chase in which his only clues were the white wrapped, gold-ringed tails darting around corners, the curious and slightly exasperated youth finally made his way outdoors to a deserted courtyard, where the petite young woman was pacing angrily, still pulling at the bottom of her skirt.

As Ichigo approached, she growled out in agitation, "How in the Nine Hells can human women _wear_ this kind of embarrassment? And on a regular basis! Do they have no shame? This is absolutely _degrading_!"

'_Human __women__…'_ Well that cinched it. The previous night had definitely taken place and there was a seemingly solid Shinigami girl in front of him grousing about the dress code. Ichigo kept his mouth shut as a small blush took form. _He_ thought she looked good, but he didn't think the situation would pan out well if he voiced his thoughts. He stood still as Soifon finally settled directly in front of him.

He didn't expect what happened next, but he caught a blur of motion, and felt his jaw sting as he staggered back from a fierce blow to his right cheek. She had punched him. _Hard_. With the accuracy and power of an extremely dedicated martial artist.

The ringing in his head threatened to deafen him as he clutched his face in shock, '_Okay__…__she __saw __me __staring __and __reacted__…__I __probably __deserved __that__…_' the young man rationalized, looking at the shaking female with her fist clenched.

"And you…" she growled out, looking up at him (of course he towered over her 150 cm frame), "this is _your_ fault to begin with! Do you have any idea the repercussions you've incurred?" She clenched her teeth, desperately reining her temper, but to little avail.

At this, Ichigo's own fists clenched. "What the hell do you mean? _I _wasn't even aware of Hollows until yesterday! Do you honestly think I had any idea what was going on? My whole focus last night was the safety of my family! Don't take it out on me!"

"Bullshit!" hissed Soifon, glaring at him, "If you're as spiritually aware as I suspect, then your ignorance of Hollows is only due to sheer luck and your own shortcomings! Not only that, but you aren't even aware of your own influential _reiatsu_? Are you really that thick-headed?"

"Influential? What the hell are you talking about?" Ichigo rubbed his temple in frustration. This was quickly going downhill and the teen didn't expect her to be openly hostile to him. The pain in his jaw was slowly ebbing, but knew there'd be a bruise there tomorrow. The petite female looked aghast at his question.

"You…have no idea…? You never comprehended that your emotional state and the strength of your own soul affected the spirits around you…?" As quick as the first, Soifon's fist found his jaw, this time on the left, staggering him once more, "_Bakamono!_"

Groaning at his new pain, Ichigo wobbled. He tasted blood in his mouth as he nursed his jaw again. Damn did she punch hard. Straightening himself, he glared down at the angry girl, growling with restrained fury "Then _enlighten_ me." He was worried, subconsciously, that he was going to lash out; and then the shit would really hit the fan.

Soifon huffed in annoyance before crossing her arms, "All souls, living or deceased, influence and are influenced by the state of other souls, particularly those stronger than them. Hollows are drawn to and enriched by negative emotions—sorrow, hatred, greed—while plus souls, including _Shinigami,_ are more subject to positive emotions—peace, hope, joy—emotions more commonly found among the living. When a truly strong spiritually aware human lets his emotions run freely, it has severe impacts on the supernatural world surrounding him."

Her glare seemed to increase at the understanding in his eyes, "Your emotions, that you _didn__'__t_ control, your overwhelming fear and hatred, empowered that Hollow and overwhelmed my own _hakudo,_ my spirit pulse. Were it not for that brief moment in which you so foolishly attempted to sacrifice yourself, neither of us would be in this position."

Harsh reality settled into Ichigo's heart as he endured the blistering words of the girl before him. Her blunt, precise points made sense to him as he reviewed the scenario. He had gotten in the way, and even though his family was safe, what would happen if there was another Hollow? He turned to Soifon, anger replaced with concern as he addressed her, "So, then, what are our options?"

One thin eyebrow rose, "Options? Little to none. You are going to have to perform the duties of a _Shinigami_, and I will oversee you. My powers were stolen by _you_. _You_ are now responsible for the power you've obtained." At his offended face, she slashed the air with her arm, "Silence! _I _certainly can't continue my mission if I'm forced into this _gigai_, and what do you think will happen when another _konpaku_, a whole spirit, emerges? Without a _konsou_, that spirit will be easy prey for a Hollow."

Ichigo scowled at Soifon, "_Gigai_? What does that mean?"

The black-haired girl matched his scowl, "'Fake body'. It is a humanoid casing that weakened _Shinigami_ can inhabit without attracting Hollows. I've been in this pathetic shell ever since last night. And you didn't answer my question."

The ginger-haired youth looked away. What could he say? He didn't want to fight monsters for the sake of strangers. What mattered was protecting his family. If it was just them, then fine, but ghosts he had never met? That didn't sit well with him.

"Why should I put myself at risk for a stranger? What makes them so special that I need to put my very soul on the line for them?" He said, staring down at Soifon.

She tensed, bristling at his detached attitude, "_Teme!_" She struck out again, only this time, the boy in front of her caught her small fist. Shock resonated within her as she felt his calloused fingers around her hand. Her wide grey eyes stared into his brown ones as he spoke, "I understand you're upset; maybe I just don't get it. I'm willing to listen, and maybe help, but would you just stop punching me?" Soifon's eyes narrowed and her arm relaxed. Ichigo let go of her hand as he regarded her stiff form.

Years later, amongst friends and family, Kurosaki Ichigo would laughingly admit that he had worded himself poorly.

The orange-haired boy suddenly found himself in the air, his neck snapped back painfully and his chin stinging like a bitch. Just beyond his face, he could see the vertically extended leg of Soifon. She had kicked him; and her kick was even _harder_ than her punches. He flew up and back before landing on his back, his head and spine aching. His breath came out ragged as he tried to endure the pain, groaning all the while.

The petite female lowered her leg, looking down on Ichigo with a small scowl, "I didn't punch you, just as you asked." Reaching into the pocket of her mini-skirt, Soifon pulled out a red, fingerless glove with a blue-and-black flaming skull insignia. With the article on her hand, she grasped at the young man's shoulder and pulled, freeing the shihakushou clothed Shinigami from his body.

Ichigo was stunned at the sight of his own body on the ground; he was also surprised at the lack of pain. His jaw didn't hurt anymore. A new weight on his back made him look behind his shoulder, at the bandage-wrapped blade. He looked at Soifon, surprised to see her walking away, "O-Oi!"

She looked over at him, a stern look to her eyes. "Hide your body, and then follow me. I will show you the answer to your question."

* * *

The two Shinigami stood side-by-side as they observed an empty playground. Ichigo recognized the place and was about to question Soifon, when she handed him, of all things, a cell phone, "Read the message."

Ichigo felt foolish, but obeyed, "Yumizawa Children's Park. 12:00 pm., plus or minus 15 minutes. 20 meter radius." He then stared at her, silently awaiting an explanation; then, he heard a scream, not of a Hollow, but of a child. His gaze turned to the playground as he saw a familiar ghost child with a short chain protruding from his chest barely outrunning an arachnid-shaped Hollow. Ichigo's hand shot to the hilt of his Zanpaku-tou, when a firm grip halted him.

"That's a stranger, Kurosaki. Didn't you question why they're special? Why you should risk yourself?"

Ichigo's frenzied eyes locked onto her, "What? I can't just let that kid die!"

"Be they before your sight, or lost in shadows, they will be hunted. Simply reacting when you're nearby isn't good enough, fool!" Soifon began to sweat as her "partner's" reiatsu flared, "Equality to all souls is the sacred duty of _Shinigami_, even going so far as to place your life on the line for that equality. You must pass on the wholes, you _must_ purify the Hollows, and you _must __protect __the __living_!"

A moment, a very small brief moment, of clarity snapped in Ichigo's mind. The image of the pale female Shinigami crushed between white teeth, red blood spraying from her wounds. _She_ had protected him. '_…__protect__…_'

The child konpaku slipped as the insectoid Hollow lumbered above him, drool seeping between its mask's teeth. Before the Hollow could at last claim its prize, a massive curved blade was imbedded in its face. Ichigo had "moved" instantaneously in front of the monster. Its body clove in twain before disappearing into infinite particles. Soifon looked on in anticipation as the orange-haired boy set his sword against his back, and turned to her, his eyes clouded.

Just when the youth opened his mouth to speak, a new scream cried out, "HEEEEELP!", and the two Shinigami saw a long-haired man with a bushy mustache, holding a golden birdcage, running towards them. Behind him, the ground burst with an invisible explosion, one that was reiatsu-based.

Ichigo looked up to see a new Hollow, with bat-like wings, flying about. He could hear the creature cackling insanely, which startled the young Shinigami, **"****WHAHAHAHAHA, ****that****'****s ****right ****kiddo, ****keep**** '****em ****running! ****That****'****s ****just ****the ****way ****I ****like ****it!****"** Then his fist clamped onto a tiny, bulbous-headed critter in his black mane before throwing the creature at the terrified human.

_-SHWICK!-_

The flying Hollow gaped as his little minion was sliced by a monster sword, being held by an irate-looking Shinigami. The Hollow then licked its masked face with a strangely-forked tongue as the scent of the powerful warrior finally reached him, **"****OH, ****HOHOHOHO, ****that****'****s ****rich! ****Real ****rich, ****kid! ****You ****even ****led ****me ****to ****a ****delicious **_**Shinigami **_**morsel! ****HA****HA! ****This ****must ****be ****my ****lucky ****day!****"**

The confident Hollow swooped down, bringing its talons forward. Ichigo caught the feet with the flat of his blade, struggling against the force of the blow, '_Damn, __this __one__'__s __stronger!__'_ He pushed harder against the demon, forcing his strength and swung, sending the Hollow scrambling to regain its balance. He looked to Soifon, who was pinning the distraught man to a telephone pole, "How come this one talks? Is there something different about it?"

Soifon paled, unhappy with the question. She didn't want him exposed to _every_ element immediately, it would distract him. He still wasn't aware…of what Hollows _were_… "Kurosaki…"

"**WHAT? ****Are ****you ****dense, ****or ****just ****new, **_**Shinigami**_**? ****Jeez, ****you****'****d ****think ****they****'****d ****learn, ****after ****I ****already ****munched ****two ****of**** '****em, ****but ****you ****hypocrites ****get ****dumber ****every ****time!****"** the bat-Hollow landed, radiating menace. **"****Should ****I ****tell ****you, **_**Shinigami**_**? ****What ****I ****was ****when ****I ****was ****ALIVE?****"**

Ichigo froze. He froze with dread and clarity. A memory sparked from the previous night…

…

"…_the subjugation and purification of Hollows, evil souls whose hearts have been lost …"_

…

_Souls_…they, too, were souls, just like the ghosts…

"**About ****five ****years ****back ****now, ****I ****was ****a ****serial ****murderer****…****I ****wandered**** '****round****…****hunted ****people****…****killed ****eight ****by ****the ****time ****I ****got ****famous, ****they ****even ****put ****me ****on ****T.V.!****"** The glee in the demented Hollow's voice was palpable, **"****but ****my ****best ****score?;****"** a clawed finger pointed at the birdcage in his quarry's arms, **"****was ****that ****kiddo****'****s ****mother!****"**

Soifon looked at the birdcage, and suddenly became aware of a conscious presence within the cage; a little pink-cheeked parakeet...with the soul of a young child. "_Gomennasai_." A tiny voice spoke, from the little bird's beak, "I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt."

A cold shiver ran up the petite woman's spine; the horror of the situation was one she had never experienced before. The pieces clicked in place, as the raven-haired Shinigami glared at the gloating Hollow, "_Teme__…_"

The Hollow continued on, **"****Ooh, ****it ****was **_**sweet**_**. ****Six, ****seven, ****eight ****times ****I ****stabbed ****the ****bitch, ****and ****she ****kept ****running, ****holding ****on ****to ****the ****kid ****as ****she ****ran. ****Just ****rememberin****' ****it ****gets ****me ****goin****'****!****"** The mask seemed to stretch into a smile with the Hollow's words, **"****But ****then, ****things ****went ****south. ****After ****I ****killed ****the ****broad, ****the ****little ****brat ****grabbed ****at ****my ****shoes. ****I ****lost ****my ****balance, ****and ****went ****tumblin****'****.****"**

Ichigo listened, his whole body trembling. He felt like his spine was going to break itself as tension built up in his muscles. His grip on his sword had long since caused a bloody gash in his palm; his hair covered his eyes as he craned his head low, straining his neck in pain.

"**Fuck ****did ****that **_**suck**_**! ****Instead ****o****' ****me ****finishing ****off ****the ****kid, ****he ****wound ****up ****killing **_**me**_**. ****So****…****I ****decided ****he ****should ****suffer****…****I ****put ****his ****soul ****in ****that ****bird ****and ****made ****a ****bet ****with ****the ****little ****baby****…"** he held up three long fingers, **"****Three ****months; ****run ****from ****me ****for ****three ****months, ****while ****I ****get ****all ****the ****souls ****he ****tries ****to ****talk ****to, ****even ****those ****two **_**Shinigami **_**I****mentioned****…****then ****he ****could ****see ****Mommy ****again.****"**

Soifon and Ichigo both snapped up at that. Soifon knew better, which is why her glare earned a whole new level of fury, but Ichigo lost his hatred, if only for a moment, as long-dead hope seemed to surface, "You mean…?"

"**HA****HA****HA****HA! ****Of ****course ****not, **_**bouke! **_**That ****was ****just ****to ****get ****the ****brat ****motivated! ****Oh ****he****'****d ****cry ****and ****plead ****with ****me ****not ****to ****kill**** '****em, ****that ****they ****were ****good ****people ****and ****all ****that ****mushy ****bullshit; ****but ****then ****I ****tell**** '****im ****his ****Mommy****'****s ****waitin****' ****and ****he****'****s ****ready ****to ****go ****again. ****Got ****to ****save ****Mommy, ****after ****all****…" **the Hollow chuckled cruelly.

Suddenly, Ichigo appeared behind him, one hand clenching tightly at his right shoulder. All parties froze at the murderous intent oozing from the orange-haired teen, "Fuck. You." The youth then grabbed at the Hollow's right arm…pulled with all his strength…

_**-RRRIP!-**_

…and separated the bat-Hollow from his right wing.

"**GGGGRRRRAAAAGGGH!"**

The Hollow screamed, its unique voice and natural Hollow roar melding in and out of sync. Blood flowed from the vicious wound as the monster flailed about in agony. Ichigo dropped the limb unceremoniously, hefting his Zanpaku-tou onto his shoulder as he watched. Soifon felt cold fear in her stomach at the brutal change in his style…this…this wasn't subjugation…

…this was _torture_…

The Hollow panted frantically, as Ichigo approached. A swift movement from his remaining arm, and the ginger-haired Shinigami was surrounded by tiny Hollow minions. They pressed their paws to their heads, spitting out slugs and fluids. Despite his attempt to flee, a few latched on to Ichigo's left arm and torso, "What? Leeches…?"

"**HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ****NOT ****JUST **_**ANY **_**LEECHES, **_**KOZU!**_**" **The Hollow's hysterical voice cackled. His forked tongue stuck out, and a high pitched whistle reverberated through the air. The leeches on Ichigo's body exploded; Ichigo growled in pain as blood spilt from his chest and arm, **"****THEY****'****RE ****MY ****ORDINANCE! ****THE ****LEECHES ****ATTACH ****TO ****MY ****PREY, ****AND ****RUPTURE ****AT ****THE ****CALL ****OF ****MY ****WHISTLE, ****BLOWING ****THEM ****UP ****INTO ****BITE-SIZED ****MORSELS! ****HEE ****HEE ****HEE ****HEE!****"**

"Kurosaki!" Soifon yelled, frustration mixed with worry. The sight of him bleeding bothered her immensely, but she couldn't decide why; regardless, he was going to be in trouble if he didn't focus his emotions.

"**OH ****HO! ****LET****'****S ****NOT ****FORGET ****ABOUT ****YOU, ****GIRLIE! ****ARE ****YOU ****A **_**SHINIGAMI **_**TOO?****"** a meaty fist grabbed several of the squeaking creatures before throwing them at the black-haired girl and the panicking man, **"**_**DIE!**__**"**_

As the minions flew through the air, Ichigo appeared in front of them, flipping his blade perpendicular to the sidewalk, and slammed his Zanpaku-tou into the earth. A bright flare of blue reiatsu erupted in a cylindrical blast, disintegrating the projectile Hollow-lings. The mustachioed man whimpered as another of those invisible explosions set off near him and the crazy, short girl pinning him to the pole. Oh, why oh why was this happening to him?

As the blast dispersed, Soifon addressed her charge, "Kurosaki! Enough fooling around! _Purify __him!_" Ichigo wrenched his weapon out of the ground, settling into a defensive stance; he regarded her and nodded, "_Aah._"

The Hollow regained his footing, distracted, when the gleaming blade of the youth's Zanpaku-tou swept through his mid-section. The pain froze the monster as his upper-half crumpled to the ground, red gore oozing from his severed body. Like lightning, Ichigo reversed his grip, brought the piercing tip down through the Hollow's mask, and muttered in condemnation, "Go to hell."

To his surprise, the Hollow didn't vanish as the others had. A chilling, vile wind whipped around the park as Ichigo jumped back from the screaming beast. In the sky above him, two massive, crimson doors mounted with golden skeletons formed from nothing. An ominous feeling welled up in the boy's heart as the doors partially opened, held fast by ancient and powerful sutras.

The bat-Hollow screamed out one last time as a gigantic blade emerged from the portal, skewering the damned monster. Ichigo watched, horrified, as a pair of evil eyes looked out from the abyss; a guttural, booming laugh sounded and the doors slammed shut with the retracted blade, before fading into nothingness.

A cold sweat clung to the teen's skin as he turned to the black-haired girl. Her face was grim, "It was not a coincidence, nor was it anything _you_ did. _Shinigami_ use their _Zanpaku-tou_ to purify Hollows of the sins they committed, so that they may enter Soul Society. However, when a soul that had committed heinous crimes in life, such as murder, is slain by a _Zanpaku-tou_ as a Hollow, they are then given to Hell. Soul Society does not condone grave sins of the living; the damned are condemned to Hell, never to emerge again."

Ichigo nodded, still sweating from fear and fatigue, before approaching Soifon and the now unconscious human, "What happened to him?"

"The emergence of the Hell Gates isn't something trifle; his proximity to the Hell's Miasma probably caused a sense of near-death experience. He simply passed out in fright." The short woman grabbed the bird cage from the man's limp fingers, "Still, I will need to be sure…"

Once the bird cage was set down, the two Shinigami listened to the konpaku in the parakeet—Shibata Yuuichi was his name—thank them for their help. Soifon gently pressed her hand to the cage, her palm alight with reiatsu. The two were joined by the quiet ghost boy from earlier. The black-haired girl sighed and retracted her hand, "It's impossible. Even if his body were to be found, the _inga __no __kusari_, his chain of fate, has long since been severed. I can't restore him."

"Oh…" the little bird sighed, "I guess I should have known…"

Ichigo smiled gently at the little bird, "Yuuichi, I know you're scared, but if you receive the _konsou_ you'll travel to Soul Society; once there you can find your mother for real this time." The little pink-cheeked gasped in happiness, enthusiastic; the orange-haired youth turned to the little boy, "What's your name, kid?"

"Yahiko…Kaizawa Yahiko…" the konpaku mumbled, looking up at the black-robed stranger.

"Yahiko…that's a good, strong name. Yahiko, would you be willing to help Yuuichi? Both of you would be safer in Soul Society, and you could both look for Yuuichi's mom. Would that be all right?"

"_Un_. My parents have already grieved my passing. I'm happy knowing they're okay." The small boy smiled bravely, happy the orange-haired guy had called him strong.

Ichigo grabbed Yahiko's hand and led him to Yuuichi's cage; he pressed the boy's palm against the little bird's wing and unraveled his weapon, "You two take care of each other, okay?" The two boys—one inside a bird, the other a spectral ghost—cried out in affirmative. Ichigo pressed the flat of his Zanpaku-tou's hilt on the boy's and bird's forehead in quick succession, a glowing kanji in place. They glowed brightly, before forming into black swallow-tail butterflies. The two flew off into the sky. The little parakeet, now free of a human soul, tweeted once before flying out of its open cage, into the unknown.

Ichigo sighed, then placed his sword against his back, feeling the bandages reapply themselves into a sheath. He turned to see Soifon hold up a small device, that looked like a Pez dispenser, before the re-waking man, "Wha-what are you-?"

-_**BOOM!**_-

The mustache-man dropped as a plume of smoke wafted from his form. The device had a chicken head, attached to a spring, swaying back and forth from the top of it. Ichigo freaked out, pointing and squawking, "Oi, what the hell? What's that all about?"

"_Kiouku-chikan_—memory replacement. Even if he didn't see you or the Hollow, we can't take a chance that the boy hadn't spoken to him about it. The _Shinigami_ must remain a legend, at all costs." Soifon propped the man against a fence, then perked up as sirens neared, "_Kuso_! We made too much noise!"

Faster than she could react in her underpowered form, Soifon found herself in Ichigo's arms, blazing across the rooftops of the city. Warmth spread to her face as she became aware of the _closeness_ between them; of the gentle strength in his arms as he kept her safe from falling. Her thoughts were muddled, '_What __is __this __feeling? __Wh-why __does __this __feel__…_good_?__'_

Within a minute, they touched down in the courtyard of the high school. Panting, Ichigo set the black-haired girl down, while said girl tried to calm herself by resetting her uniform. Seeing the blood on her white shirt, she groaned and turned to the orange-haired boy, "Come here, I'll patch you up; your injuries will transfer to your body if you're not careful." She pushed aside the white yukata of his shihakushou and placed her hand on his torso, her fingers alight with soothing green energy.

Ichigo blushed at the feeling of her warm hand, and couldn't contain the shivers that plagued him. He turned his head to avoiding looking at her, "S-So how does the memory replacement work, anyway?"

"The memories are random; though we can't choose them, the replacement memories generally adapt to the person's own imagination and the situational environment." Soifon said, moving her hand to each spot where the leeches had attacked.

The youth's eyes widened in remembrance, "So that's why my family thought it was a gas explosion; the damage to the street and our clinic, plus the outside opinion of those reporters…"

"Yes. Sometimes it works itself out, other times it can be ludicrous. I once overheard a poor fool talk about alien abductions after he was carried around by a Hollow." The short woman moved to her companion's left arm, her healing spell weakening slowly; he was going to have some scars, at least.

Ichigo waited patiently as his arm healed, then flexed the limb experimentally. Fully healed, he gave Soifon a nod, "_Arigatou_." He then held out his right hand; at her questioning look, Ichigo smirked, "I understand, at least a little better, what it means to be a _Shinigami_. The power to protect those who can't protect themselves; that's something I can support whole-heartedly. And, I owe you a great debt; both for my life and for my family's. I'll do the work of a _Shinigami_, count on it."

Surprised, Soifon shook Ichigo's hand, a small smile tugging at her lips, "You'll have your work cut out for you, Kurosaki."

The orange-haired teen matched her smile, "_Ichigo_."

"Huh?"

"We're partners; call me Ichigo."

"…Ichigo…"

Said Strawberry nodded, "Looking forward to working with you, Shaolin."

Soifon blushed, before throwing the teen's hand aside, her smile turning into a scowl, "Do _not_ call me that. That name…I haven't been called that since I was a child. That is no longer my identity."

She didn't understand the look in his eyes as he regarded her, "When we first met, you introduced yourself as Fon Shaolin,"—she winced at that—"so that's the name that comes to mind when I see and address you." Ichigo scratched at the back of his head awkwardly, "I'll keep in mind what you said in class, and call you 'Soifon' in public, but…" his smile was apologetic, "please forgive me in advance if I call you 'Shaolin' when it's just us."

The way he worded it didn't help the poor girl's discomfort, so her response came a little harshly, "Then _you__'__ll_ forgive _me_ when I throw life-threatening projectiles at you in response."

The poor teen flinched at the bite in her tone, "A-Ah…sure, no problem…heh…" he stuttered, waving his hands in surrender. He then took note of her bloodied blouse and blushed in guilt, "uh, I don't know how we're going to explain the blood; do you have a spare?"

Soifon blinked, before regarding the red blotches, "Unless everyone in your class can see the dead as you can, this wouldn't even be noticeable to them. But…I would _really_ rather not parade around in this..."

She looked around, spotting a few female students making their way into another of the school buildings. She addressed Ichigo before taking off, "Get back in your body; I'll be back shortly."

Ichigo gaped as she took off, confused as all hell. "This…is going to be interesting…"

* * *

A few hours later, Ichigo and Soifon were walking side-by-side, their school day finished. The young woman had ordered the teen, in private, to accompany her; something about her "supply cache". Ichigo recalled with annoyance how she'd returned to the room, clean shirt and all, with something akin to smug satisfaction on her face; it only got worse when a school-wide announcement, about how the stealing of uniforms out of shower rooms was prohibited and liable to expulsion, came minutes later. Of course, no one was openly blamed or questioned, but some poor girl had to deal with being topless for longer than she would have wanted.

The young man raked a hand through his hair in agitation, "I still don't understand how you got a shirt without anyone spotting you; given Keigo's numerous attempts, and failures, those girls have the eyes of hawks when it comes to creepers."

The girl's eyes glinted with pride, "Firstly, 'creeper' is a crude term; and second, I have been trained as an assassin all my life. The art of masking one's presence and liberating a valuable from a target is, quite literally, child's play to me." Indeed, she had discreetly followed a group of female students to a girl's locker room; from there, it had only taken a moment to find a similarly-profiled girl to target. After that, it had been easy; the girl had left her blouse folded on a bench, distracted by some conversation or other, when Soifon had made her claim.

"Assassin, huh…explains why your fists nearly killed me back there…" the teen groused, rubbing his sore jaw; after he rejoined his body, the pain returned full-force to his face, along with residual aching in his chest, and new scars along the length of his arm.

She offered no apology, but her eyes weren't hard when she looked up at him, "Don't whine, it's beneath you. Those were little more than _taps_, Ichigo; in a full training session, you'd experience broken bones before the halfway point. At best, you'd still be _alive_ by the time you would receive any healing. Trust me when I say that was a slap on the wrist in comparison to a _real_ punch."

Ichigo paled slightly at the imagery. He wasn't anxious to experience said training. A gasp from his shorter companion alerted the youth; she reached a thick batch of shrubbery and pulled out a dark gray duffel bag, which seemed unusual to Ichigo. At his questioning look, Soifon shrugged, "I placed an emergency LTR call to our research team last night, when it became obvious that I wasn't going anywhere. They always keep supplies on stand-by for _Shinigami_ on assignment."

"'LTR'? As in, 'Long-term Reconnaissance'?"

The raven-haired girl's eyes widened, "You're familiar with military tactics?"

The teen blushed, "N-No, just…something from a game I once played…" Oh, why did he have to open his mouth? He didn't want to admit playing an old Tom Clancy video game, since that wasn't part of his image.

A scowl marred Soifon's pale face, "I should absolutely pummel you for that, but I'm too tired right now," she hefted the large duffel onto her shoulder, crossing her arms and facing her partner. After a minute of silence, she growled at Ichigo, "_Well_?"

If anything, the orange-haired boy's blush deepened—there was that "more-attractive-when-angry" trait again—as he backed up slightly, "W-What?"

"We need to get going, don't we? Or do you spend your evenings gallivanting about like the troublesome delinquent you make yourself out to be?" Soifon said, raising one thin eyebrow in scrutiny.

Ichigo balked, "What do you mean, _we_? I can't actually take you _home_ with me, I-?" the teen suddenly became very self-conscious of his words, blushing furiously. He was talking about her like some kind of stray or, worse, a trophy. Fists clenched, he forced himself to think before speaking, "I can't just bring a girl to my home; it would raise too many questions. Unless you somehow managed a volunteer-housing arrangement between the school and my family, which, as the student of said family, _I_ would have been made aware of, you can't just ask to stay with us, no matter how temporary."

Soifon gaped. Her mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to form words. Who knew her newfound charge had such a grasp on the situation at hand? She palmed her face, embarrassed heat spreading through her cheeks; the _one_ thing that slipped passed the planning stages…

"Alright, we'll just…we'll figure something out," her voice had lost the edge from earlier, its surprising softness blissfully pleasant to Ichigo's ears. A strange warmth grew in his belly as he regarded the black-haired girl. The details of her face, her form, seemed more defined in the orange glow of the evening sun. He walked up to her, looking down at those charcoal orbs, "Yeah…"

Soifon was startled by the proximity of her partner, forced to look up into his burning gaze; she felt a tingle in her fingers, a strange desire…she wanted to touch his face, his orange hair, the same way she had last night. She could feel his subconscious presence, his leaking reiatsu, swirling about her, almost _encompassing_ her, like…like a protective shell. It was…nice…

The shorter woman coughed uncomfortably, her cheeks flushed, "Um, yes, well…shall we get going?" The young man blinked a few times, before his own embarrassment showed on his face, "Uh, yeah, okay…let's go…home…" The two continued walking, an awkward silence settling between them.

* * *

Before they reached the Kurosaki Clinic, the two moved to the back-side of the building, where Ichigo helped Soifon over the property wall; they'd agreed to wait until the ginger-haired teen could open his window to get the petite girl "smuggled in". She hid herself, waiting for the signal from her partner, and he went around to the front, entering his home.

Every single sense in his body told him to '_DUCK!_' as his overly aggressive father came barreling at him. Dodging a flying kick, the eldest Kurosaki child grabbed the extended leg of the black-haired patriarch, and flung him into the wall, right next to the Masaki Memorial Poster. The head of the Kurosaki household groaned in misery at his son's seemingly cold nature to his "loving" father, "Kaa-san, our son is so cruel…"

The pleasing aroma of hot food tickled Ichigo's nose as he approached the kitchen/dining room, where Karin was already eating plentifully. Yuzu clutched her serving spoon to her apron as she looked up at Ichigo, "Onii-chan…"

The meal was _huge_; servings of beef, pork, fish, veggies, and _lots_ of rice. The teen felt a little guilty about being late, and looked at his younger sister apologetically, "_Ware_, Yuzu. I got caught up with stuff, but why's the dinner so _big_? I'm not complaining or anything, but…" He got a small smile in response.

"It's to celebrate our survival from this morning! We got lots of condolence cards and gifts from neighbors and Otou-chan's doctor friends about the damage to the clinic. I was just happy that everyone was okay, so I went all out tonight!"

Ichigo smiled at his little sister; she was so honest and loving, it was almost frightening how similar she was to their deceased mother. Ichigo knew she was going to be the spitting image of Kurosaki Masaki when she came of age. The orange-haired youth scratched his head as he walked towards the stairs, "I'll be back down in a bit."

He bounded up the steps, before opening his door, the trademark "15" door-sign clinking. He locked his bedroom door before going to his window. He opened it, looking down into the small backyard for any sign of Soifon; nothing. He couldn't see her anywhere…damn she was good at this.

The youth took a small breath, slightly embarrassed about what he was going to do, and called out, without yelling, "_Ahou!_" As if the very shadows were hiding her, she was at the bottom of the building, looking up at him with a condescending smirk. She launched her duffel bag up into his waiting arms, where he the tossed it to the head of his bed to his right. He then reached down, stretching his arm as far as possible; she jumped, clasping her hand at his elbow. Effortlessly, the larger boy pulled the girl up into his room and onto his bed.

"You enjoyed that, didn't you?" Ichigo grumbled, closing the window shut. Soifon's smirk was still present, "A little, yes, maybe," was her cryptic reply. The teen glared for a second, before returning with a smirk of his own, "'Who's the more foolish: the fool, or the fool who follows him?'"

A growl escaped the black-haired girl, "What kind of nonsense is _that_?"

The youth only shrugged, "Something from an old movie, I forget what it was. Seemed profound, though…" He moved off his mattress, walking toward the door. "My sister made a big dinner; anything in particular you prefer?"

Soifon's eyes widened. The idea of _real_ food, not just field rations, made her mouth water. A mighty growl erupted from her stomach, causing the petite female to blush furiously and her male counterpart to stifle a chuckle, "Fish over meat. Anything else will also be good." Her posture was rigid as she struggled to maintain her composure, embarrassment and all.

Ichigo nodded, closing the door while keeping his voice down, "I'll try to be up shortly, but my family might keep me at the table. Please be patient." Then the door closed, leaving Soifon in the darkened room, the barest remaining sunlight filtering through the small window. The raven-haired girl grabbed her duffel and began taking stock of her supplies.

A full change of school clothes was a welcome sight, as was the extra canister of Kiouku-chikan; she had a feeling that she would need it again _very_ soon. There were also some civilian clothes—jeans, shirts, and at least one dress—which Soifon was thankful for; she didn't want to wear her uniform all the time like some cliché.

A light, thin fabric brushed her fingertips, which confused her; Soifon blushed a deep crimson as she removed a pair of black, _lace_ panties, the kind of which she would _never_ choose for herself. She rummaged further, mortified, finding a matching bra and a scantily revealing nightgown; a folded note fell from the folds into the black-haired girl's lap. With a shaking hand, Soifon read the message:

"_In case you meet a cute guy;_

_Want to make a great impression, right?_

_Jyuu Buntai Fuku-Taichou-chan"_

Rage threatened to blind her as she clenched the small letter in her fist, _'__That __buxom __she-devil! __How __dare __she __insinuate __such __a __thing? __I __swear, __I__'__ll __strangle __her __with __her __own __breasts!__'_ She threw the offending articles deep into her bag; then, she saw a small white bottle, with another note tied to it.

"_You forgot this in your squad barracks._

_Jyuu Buntai Fuku-Taichou-chan"_

Soifon felt a grudging appreciation for the object of her frustrations, '_Okay, __I __won__'__t __strangle __her__—__just __punch __her __really __hard.__'_ She opened the cap of the bottle, taking in the aroma of gentle chamomile and a lighter, less detectable vanilla. A smile came to her face; the fragrant lotion was the _only_ effeminate indulgence she kept for herself and…the one element from her past that brought her no grief whatsoever.

Recapping the bottle, she turned at the sound of an opening door, ready to hide if necessary. It wasn't, thankfully, as Ichigo reentered the room with a large tray of steaming food—two heaping bowls of rice and vegetables, a pair of tasty looking grilled fish, and a few servings of pork and beef.

The orange-haired teen placed the food on his desk, giving his guest a half-hearted withering glare, "You owe me; I had to deal with my sister's 'puppy-eyes of doom' when I told her I had to sit out from family dinner thanks to homework."

Soifon stifled a laugh at his expense, "'Puppy-eyes of doom'? Are you always so dramatic, Ichigo?" The raven-haired girl anxiously grabbed the plate of fish and a spare set of chopsticks; the scent from the meal was tantalizing. The fish was beautifully browned, sliced in even pieces; taking a single slice between her utensils, she took a tentative bite…and melted, "Oh, _gods_, that's good."

Ichigo chuckled, holding a bowl of beef in his hands, "Yeah, my sister's a good cook, but try to keep it down, eh?" At her excited nodding, the two passed into a companionable silence as they ate.

* * *

With the meal over, and the evening passing into night, Ichigo had left again to clean up before bed. His hair clung to his face as the shower's water cleansed his aches. Pulling back his bangs, looking off into nothing, the youth recalled his new "roommate's" request…

_(Flashback)_

"_What?"_

_He __struggled __to __keep __his __composure, __and __not __alert __his __ever __present __and __ever _nosy _family __that __he __had __company, __thereby __barging __in to __his __own __room, __but __he__'__d __just __been __thrown __for __a __loop; __she __wanted __what?_

"_It's just a shirt, Ichigo, that's all I'm asking for."_

_Her red-tinted cheeks weren't helping her case, but her (cute) scowl was definitely noteworthy. The supplies from her duffel weren't…appropriate, so she had attempted to be civil in her request for slightly more decent nightwear; turns out, however, that her new provider was a gigantic, easily agitated prude._

"_I-uh-gah-it's-duh-just-…" At any other time, she would have found his stuttering and flushed face endearingly funny, but she wasn't amused. She sighed tiredly, rubbing at her temples to stem a headache, "Please, just loan me a shirt for tonight."_

_For a minute, Ichigo just stood there, gaping at her with his own blush marring his scowl. He then walked over to his dresser drawer, pulling out a plain white tee-shirt, one of the few baggy ones that he owned, and tossed it to her; it looked comically massive compared to her petite frame._

_Before he could leave, she then voiced another question that stopped him cold, "Where will I sleep?"_

_Of course, he realized she would be sleeping in his room, but the details had escaped him while he was—dare he think it?—enjoying her company. He palmed his face and moved to his closet, opening one of the sliding doors. He looked at the spare futons and blankets…then groaned, "This won't work…"_

"_How do you mean?" She asked, trepidation building at Ichigo's antics._

"_If __we __set __up __a __futon, __my __family __will _know _someone __else __is __here, __and __I __can__'__t __try __to __clear __the__se __up __every __morning __without __running __the __risk __of __being __found __out__…" __he __then __looked __at __Soifon, __back __at __the __closet __of __bedding, __then __her,__ "__You __know, __it __would __be __large __enough __for __you-?__"_

_An __aura __of __malice __emanated __from __the __black-haired __female, __causing __the__orange-head __to __lean __away __in __fright,__ "__You __are _**not **_thinking __of __stuffing __me __in __that __closet__…__I __am __not __some __toy __doll __to __be __hidden __away __at __your __convenience__…__I __may __not __demand __luxury __like __some __others, __but __I __will _not _simply __settle __for __something __as __degrading __as __sleeping __in __a __closet.__"_

_Soifon __turned __to __the __bed, __and __plopped __onto __the __mattress, __clenching __the __shirt,__ "__Since __you __are __so __aware __of __how _small _I __am,__"—__Ichigo __winced __at __the __bitterness __in __her __voice__—"__then __I __should __fit __fine __next __to __you, __here.__"_

_Ichigo sputtered, nearly falling to the floor. The two stared at each other, a silent battle of wills; of course, Ichigo lost, hanging his head in defeat. He reached back, grabbing one of the spare pillows, tossing it to the bed, "Alright."_

_(End Flashback)_

Ichigo turned off the shower, frustrated at the rapidly developing situation that was constantly catching him off-guard. That girl was going to be the end of him…

They'd also briefly argued about her using the shower to bathe, but Ichigo had adamantly refused, fearful of the repercussions that would come with the inevitable "catastrophe" that would be his excitable father walking in on a naked woman in the shower.

Toweling himself off, Ichigo realized he would have to help Soifon find a means to clean herself; after all, it would be absolutely rude to force her out of her needs. After a thought, he remembered that the school currently had early open hours for the track and field teams' morning training. They could sneak into the locker rooms while everyone else was busy…

Dressed in loose sweatpants and a white tee-shirt, Ichigo draped his towel across his shoulders, walking up the stairs. Checking the hallway, he knocked twice before entering, closing his bedroom door behind him. The black-haired girl was sitting on his bed, knees drawn underneath, tapping on her phone; she had removed the white bandages and gold rings from her braids, revealing two soft tails of black hair; the white shirt he loaned was _very_ large on her frame, coming down to mid thigh at the hem; her face was framed by a low moon in the window, giving her a ghostly beauty that Ichigo couldn't help staring at.

She turned to look at him, and raise an eyebrow at him, "What?"

The teen shook his head, blushing madly, "N-Nothing." He walked over to the bed, depositing his towel on the desk. He sat beside her, waiting for her to finish with whatever she was doing. At his questioning look, the girl showed him the cell-phone from earlier, "Orders from the Soul Society will alert us to the emergence of Hollows; I was just trying to set up an 'early warning' mode, but it's still an antique technology."

A few more button taps, and Soifon sighed, closing the device. Ichigo cleared his throat to get her attention, "How does this sound: we wake up at 5 in the morning so that I can take you over to the school in my _Shinigami_ form; the locker room showers will be open, and we can make it back before my family wakes up to see my 'corpse' in my bed."

Soifon's eyes lit up at the prospect of a hot shower, nodding once at her partner's ingenuity that continued to surprise her. The teen smiled at her acceptance, and was about to settle into bed, but was forced to stop when a hand rested on his shoulder, "Not so fast, Ichigo."

The two faced each other on the teen's bed, their only lighting the silvery moonlight. Soifon's gaze was stern, but there was softness there as well; she needed to get a point across, but she had every confidence in his ability. "You need to learn how to control that enormous _reiatsu_ of yours; to do that, you need to focus yourself, concentrate on condensing the whole of your _reiatsu_ into a singular layer, like a shell. This way, you keep yourself hidden, while being sensitive to the presence of other _reiatsu_, such as those of Hollows or other _Shinigami_. More importantly, it will help stop your influencing of the spiritual and natural environments; your _reiatsu_ could very well cause new _Shinigami_ to emerge from humans. So, now…focus…"

The orange-haired youth closed his eyes, trying to heed his "teacher's" words. It took a while to calm his thoughts…in his mind's eye, he could "see" the whirling mass that was his own spiritual energy; it was _huge_! He could make out the form of Soifon in front of him, every contour of her shape detailed by the blue light that made up his soul. He wondered, absentmindedly, if the very reason he failed to sense reiatsu before was because of his own suffocating presence, drowning himself out.

He tensed, forcing his reiatsu into his body, but it was incredibly difficult. The sheer enormity of his spiritual pressure, which he has unconsciously leaked since birth, was just too much to contain. Muscles strained, sweat began to bead on Ichigo's forehead and arms. He was having trouble…

Sofion gasped in shock at the strain he was experiencing; even as great as it was, the boy's reiatsu _shouldn__'__t_ be such an effort to return to its own source! Fear clawed at the raven-haired girl's heart…he could _kill_ himself at this rate, "Ichigo, stop!"

The teen did, releasing a gasp as the contained energy dispersed, very nearly erupting around them. Panting, Ichigo coughed, falling forward into Soifon's arms. The girl held him close, confused as to why he had such a problem with such a rudimentary skill. Worry for his health stayed her voice, keeping her from forcing the exercise. Ichigo straightened, trying to move back into a meditative state, but the girl stopped him, "No, no…don't strain yourself…we'll figure it out tomorrow…"

A memory came to her, of a time when her own training was still beginner's level, when she and her…mentor…discovered a…unique…means of solving her own struggles to control her reiatsu…

A fierce blush warmed her face; this was going to be _very_ awkward…

Ichigo, eyes closed in fatigue, felt the movement of his partner as she suddenly became really _close_; eyes snapping open, his face lit up, matching nicely with Sofion's, as she straddled his waist, pressing herself against his torso and her hands across his chest, "Wha-wha-wah?"

"Shh." She pressed her forehead against his chin, heat worming its way through her entire body; this was _so_ embarrassing… She looked up at him, his amber eyes wide in shock—though she noted the deep dark of his dilated pupils—and forced her heart to calm; his rapid breathing wasn't helping the matter at all…

"Try…again…" Soifon hadn't realized how dry her throat had become. She was nervous, but closed her eyes, focusing on the point where her hands met on Ichigo's broad torso. The teen placed his hands at the girl's back, holding her steady, and closed his own eyes. Once again, the massive blue light of his reiatsu became visible, and as he tried to contain it, a new sensation emerged; at the point where Soifon's hands rested, _all_ of his spiritual pressure was funneling, channeling itself into a single point.

Ichigo relaxed, feeling the warm current of his spiritual presence engulf them both; he focused on that point, where he and the young woman were connected. Soifon gasped as reiatsu flooded _into_ her; it was as if his relief caused a new controlled current to guide the swirling mass into _both_ of their bodies. She couldn't deny the giddy feeling welling in her stomach as Ichigo's very soul seemed to wrap her up in its protective embrace. Focusing her mind, she proceeded to pinpoint his reiatsu, condensing it, with his help, until the fluid mass was finally reduced to just their two, glowing forms. And again, with a little focus, the young woman channeled the warm reiatsu from her own body into his, her palms and fingers on his chest a bridge way into Ichigo. At last, the whole of his reiatsu condensed, becoming a single, near-solid layer just beneath the surface of the teen's body.

Both Shinigami opened their eyes, looking into each other's. An understanding seemed to pass between them…an unspoken bond of newfound trust. Soifon rested her head against Ichigo's chest, as the teen lowered them both to the mattress. Soft panting from both parties was the only noise for a long while.

"Keep focus…" she whispered, "don't lose concentration…if you do, I'll punish you." Her threat only received a short, soft bark of laughter. Finally, he sensed her fatigue giving way, and sleep overcame the raven-haired girl as she wrapped her arms around Ichigo. Before succumbing to sleep himself, the orange-haired young man gently ran a hand through her black tresses, whispering, "_Arigatou_…Shaolin…"

* * *

Eothr: _Oy __vey_…almost 10.5K words…in one…freakin'…chapter…good God that was rough…still, they're already sleeping together, and only on the second chapter, _yatta!_ XD

Some things to take note of:

1.) It is my hope that Soifon's explanation about emotion-reiatsu manipulation will pass judgment as a suitable explanation for Fishboned injuring her (looking back now, I relied too much on canon material…)

2.) Yes, Ichigo already possesses "_shunpo_"—or rather, a rudimentary, instinctual version of it based on the captain-level power he wields; this was largely to bypass its necessity for training. Ichigo learned _shunpo_ on his own during the Soul Society arc, and seemed ridiculously proficient with it during his fight with Byakuya (Yay, Condensed-Type-Bankai!)

3.) Yes, I did in fact have Shrieker show up and go through the whole "Pink-Cheeked Parakeet" storyline, _without_ Chad; all I can say is, "how's _that_ for a plot twist?"! Also, I may have gone overboard with Ichigo's "brutal" tactics, but I enjoyed them all the same

4.) I can't guarantee that LTR is an actual military term, I just came up with it on the fly; it _might_ have been a term or translation at one point, but Long-Range Scouting _is_ the actual military tactic

5.) The Star Wars reference is purely for my own geeky fan-service; however, I don't think it's _entirely_ uncalled for that Ichigo, or someone he knew, watched the movie at some point and recited the line

6.) Looking back on The Lesson, I admit that it comes across more as Naruto-anime charka control than reiatsu control; if this truly bothers anyone, go ahead and flame me, but I truthfully couldn't word the session any differently and still be true to what I wanted to get across

So, otherwise, that's chapter 2 done and finished. Don't count on my typing out any more 10K word chapters; that _really_ hurt my fingers…

Now, on to the poll options (done in order of preference)!

Hitsugaya & Matsumoto:

This is definitely my number one preference. As seen in this chapter, there is already a little friendship between Soifon and Rangiku, and a bitter rivalry between Ichigo and Toushirou (who are _very_ similar in personality XD) would be absolutely fun to write; additionally, with how I'm planning the story, this is the most _ideal_ "rival" pair.

Byakuya & Renji:

A popular one, as it is canon, and a final fight with Ichigo and Byakuya is always fun, especially if you change a few factors; however, since Rukia isn't even involved, this would actually be a fairly boring pair to write about. Renji wouldn't have much purpose, and Byakuya would feel dishonest to write without a reason to protect his pride.

SUPER SECRET SHINIGAMI PAIR!:

This was originally my storyline preference, but it has since been bumped down by the potential that is present in the Histu&Matsu (damn, doesn't that sound like some hilarious name for a business or lawyer's office? ;D) pair; BUT DON'T DISCOUNT IT ENTIRELY! This one, which I WILL keep secret up until the very chapter they appear, is one that I'm _extremely_ looking forward to incorporating in the story. For your consideration! *wiggles eyebrows*

Kenpachi & Yachiru:

Shits and giggles. That is _all_ that comes to mind when I envision an early meeting between these two and Ichigo; plus, a hilariously misinterpreted conversation could have Yachiru crying out for a "mommy", either Ichigo _or_ Soifon, so it's actually a rather crack-ish choice. This is the best of my "bottom tier" choices.

Oomaeda & Secret Mobile Corps Squad:

This is an interesting one, as it would serve to highlight just how _inept_ the obese lieutenant of Squad 2 is. The idea of Ichigo fighting off a horde of ninja (the Punishment Division) just seems amusing as well. This one would be difficult though, as I would have to come up with a challenging way to "relieve" Ichigo of his powers…or maybe _not_ lose at all! Still, this one is lower on the spectrum.

Mayuri & Nemu:

This was kinda just a "toss-in" choice, as none of the other Captain-Lieutenant pairs were that compelling, and I didn't want to risk unbalancing the story for the sake of sending one of the three traitors. This one would be largely based on Mayuri's interest in such a powerful human specimen, and subsequent insanity from his rants on science. This is the least popular option of course, so take it as you will…

So, there you have it; Hitsu&Matsu (I'm gonna use that a lot from now on XD) is the favorite, but SSSP is a classic underdog. Go to my profile and vote (TWICE!).

Time to respond to reviews:

**Rockmanbeasto** (Thanks for the kind words, and I apologize that "soon" became translated to "17 months" :C.); **Guyshuriken** (Ichigo and Soifon are my two favorites as well :).); **XXXG-01D** (I truly and deeply appreciate all of your insight, and hope that I've covered some of your concerns; once again, my heartfelt condolences, and I do hope you return to again.); **Tubbytoast** (Don't be mad! Here's the chapter! *lol*); **Velshard** (Thanks for the support and, agreed, the dubbed Code Geass sucked mummified monkey nuts.); **T00STr00nG** (Thank you, hope you enjoy!); **Anon42** (I'm not quite sure if it's up to WIN status, but I try. There's some more Soifon development in this chapter, which I hope you enjoy.); **Sentiment ****Remains** (Yeah, the potential is what really draws out the story, and gives me lots of inspiration.); **Lones101** (Thanks; I'm an Aspie so I'm extremely grammar-anal… X_o); **Flurry ****of ****Freezing ****Flames** (Thank you kindly! ^v^); **IUSEDTOBECRAZY** (Yeah, I'm aware of the original canon, and have already taken measures to spice up the new storyline.); **ShadowGOUF** (Here's chapter 2, enjoy!); **InuYasha'sReincarnation** (We are of like minds: Soifon is above and beyond my favorite of the Bleach girls as well! You've got some nice insight, so hold on to that hope…I've got something special planned ^-^.); **Swanboy** (Thank you for the support, here's the newest chapter.); **RisingSilverDragon** (Thanks for your review; here's the next chapter!); **SAMPSON12187** (I acknowledge my mistake of being overly reliant on the canon material, but I hope that I've rectified the mistake with Soifon's explanation…); **54842** (I don't mind the rambling ^-^, and I agree that quality Naruto fics are becoming rarer over time; and I'm aware of the changes needed to make the storyline more interesting with replacing Rukia, so don't fret.); **Izanagi7** (O_o…while…tempting, Soifon isn't _that_ much older looking than Rukia, (after all, how the hell did _Matsumoto_ get away with it?) so I stuck with the high school student approach…now, a teacher _Yoruichi_ on the other hand…*shiver*); **Orchamus** (Thank you for your review; I'm still trying to keep in away from love for a bit—did I manage that this time?); **Nameless ****Flame ****Wielder** (Does it smell like chamomile and vanilla? *lol* Not quite at the point where Soifon sees something "new*, but Ichigo's power is plenty awesome, no?); **mind ****liger** (I'm a bit flattered that you think mine is one of "few" good Bleach fanfics…I consider myself among giants in the Bleach fic circle; yes, training will be included, but it might not be what you're expecting…after all, there is still Urahara in the future…); **MKTerra** (OW OW OW, stop biting on my leg, the new chapter's up already-YEOUCH!); **Infinite****Freedom** (I'm honored that you enjoyed it, and I look forward to your future input!); **EyeOfTheBlizzard** (Really? _No__one_ else has considered it? Hmm… As stated, I admit my mistake of relying on canon material, but it will get better, I believe…); **Starxwind** (While I didn't get to it in this chapter, I _will_ explain the nature of Ichigo's current Zanpaku-tou in an upcoming training session, so rest assured I will have an explanation; while trust is not something Soifon gives out readily, as the Author I _am_ kind of leading her into being trusting of Ichigo… Chad, at the moment, is MIA, for reasons I will keep to myself :). As for romance, well…they _are_ already in bed together, after less than 24 hours…is that fast enough? *rotflmao* BTW, is your pen name based off Gene Starwind from _Outlaw__Star_?); **16FangsofWrath** (Agreed, power to the SoixIchi!); **Houkaru ****Kisaragi** (Thanks for the support! SoifonxIchigo FTW!); **Umbra8191** (Thank you for the review, here's your update!); **Blodh ****Skolir** (I agree, and I personally do focus on main characters (i.e. Ichigo) more than I do others; hope you enjoy the humor moment about Soi's height *lol*); **dthegrimm** (Thank you for your support! Even more interaction in this one! *lol*); **hEAvEN's ****Rejects** (it took 17 grief inducing months, but yes, I'm continuing -_-'.); **Ralmidaz** (You got your wish! *rotflmao* though, honestly, it wasn't much of a fight… I'm not too sure how much interaction with Keigo I'll include, but the idea has merit. Also, I'm I going to fast, or am I still keeping my goal of "attraction" over "love"?); **Iceflame55** (Thank you for the support, here's the next chapter!); **timedrake33** (Thank you for the review, hope you enjoy!); **wrong ****light** (Thanks, it's worrisome trying to keep characters to their original personality and not just inflict your own views through them…); **blackout2010** (Thank you _so_ much for such a thorough review, and I must say, I _really_ enjoy your take on IchigoxSoifon! Honestly, about the Hougyouku… well, no ~spoilers~ ^v^, you'll have to wait and see what I have planned; while I've already discounted Kon for the moment, the Hollow bait incident is actually one of the key elements that alerted SS that something was wrong in the Human World, but I'll spice it up so that it's not a _direct_ repeat; as for Chad and Orihime… well, wait and see… Orihime has a _very_ important purpose next chapter, but suffice to say… I _**REALLY**_ don't like Orihime…; I'm trying to keep Ichigo and Soifon from "falling in love", but having never gone through a relationship myself, I have to double, triple, and _quadruple_ check what I'm writing so I don't go too far, too fast…it's a hassle; thanks again, and enjoy the new chapter!); **KuroiTori-sama** (Ah ha, no, sorry, my real name isn't Tite Kubo (other wise, I would've had a whole chapter of the manga be devoted to Ichigo going on date with Soifon at Yoruichi's insistance, *lol*), but I agree that there aren't enough IchigoxSoifon stories; thanks for the support!); **zecross** (Thanks, and here's hoping this chapter is divergent enough from Chapter 2 of the manga to be acceptable.); **blackwind-hurricane** (Thank you kindly for your words; as to how far I'll take this, well… until I can't possibly write any more, I guess… This is a story that I've put a lot of thought into over the 10 years that Bleach has existed, so a good portion of my life is present in the writing of this story; I hope you will continue to follow it!); **Platinumsabr** (I do apologize for such a long delay, and I hope you enjoy this chapter; thank you for your passionate review and I hope you continue to follow this story!); **Velshard, ****Iceflame55, ****zecross, ****Sinistercurt, ****and ****XxVizard95xX** (Worry no more! Here is the brand new, sparkling, 10,000+ word chapter 2 you've been waiting for! Enjoy!)

…

…

Now, for some words of wisdom from an Old Author:

The greatest abilities available to any Fanfiction Author are also the most basic and integral aspects of Perspective: Interpretation and Adaptation. As an example, we can look at the character Soifon (Sui-feng) and focus our observations of her character, her actions, and her relationships into one of two Interpretations;

1: Soifon's one and only source of intimacy is that of her "goddess", Shihounen Yoruichi, whom she served as a bodyguard and Shinigami apprentice. Her devotion to Yoruichi is that of real, true love, and no one else could possibly be better than her beloved Yoruichi-sama.

2: Soifon's interaction and subsequent hurt from Yoruichi's "betrayal" of Soul Society left a gaping wound in her heart, one that has been forcefully healed by discipline and anger, both at Yoruichi and herself; after all, why did Yoruichi leave her behind? Perhaps she wasn't strong enough… Reuniting with her "sister" figure, Soifon has at last begun to heal her old scars, and begun to experience life as a woman.

As you can see, Int1 (Interpretation 1) is largely the norm among Soifon fanfiction, and the basis for the YoruxSoi fan base (which is also one of the strongest representatives of the Yuri fan base in general; bravo, girls). Plus, due to the tongue-in-cheek nature that both the manga and anime take on, this is practically canon. However, Int2 is a conservative, and more open-minded approach to Soifon's character, and is also, I feel, one of the principle reasons she resonates so strongly for the IchixSoi fan base (biased opinion, of course ^v^); both of them experienced a life-altering pain to their hearts at the loss of their "center of Universe"'s (Yoruichi and Masaki), and both of them hid their pain behind a hard scowl and cut off all other intimacy. A point of humor is that both of them wind up being the student's of God of Flash Yoruichi (huge time discrepancy noted…), which is another similarity between them.

From these, we use Adaptation to make our own stories as Authors, and write out powerful tales of friendship, romance, and adventure. This story, for example, is an Adaptation of Int2 from above to encourage an early (budding romance) relationship between the two; by interacting with Ichigo on a daily, personal level, Soifon can't use her own measures of self-protection to keep him away. As a result, she is _going_ to feel emotions that have been alien to her for over a century, and she is _not_ going to have an easy time of it.

Just remember; Interpretation can vary, and you _are_ entitled to your own prerogative, but you must remain true to your Adaptation. If you lose sight of your goal, then your Adaptation can fall apart, either re-writing itself to the canon or losing its integrity all together.

My friends, I can't thank you enough for your patience, and I do promise that I won't let this story die; I love it too much to lose it again. Till next time!


	3. Training Blues and a Hollow Farewell

Eothr: I can't tell you all how happy I am about the positive response from my last update. Thank you all for your positive reviews and words of encouragement. It's good to be back (again T^T). On the plus side, this update only took **7** months to post as opposed to **17**, so that's an improvement, right? (T-T)

**Disclaimer**: Characters and themes of _Bleach _are the property of Tite Kubo. My soul and ideas belong to my Muse, Rhea'Onna vas Ninpou nar Tsuchi. As of this chapter onward, Soifon is OOC. I will continue to rely upon her canon character to develop interactions, but she is now officially no longer canon Soifon. Thank you for understanding.

**WARNING**: The following chapter contains a Lime (though I prefer to call it an Orange). The sequence is not suitable for readers under the age of 18.

?: YEEEEAAAAHH! Finally something juicy!

Eothr: …oh crap…

Rhea: oh no…

?: YES!

Eothr: Readers, meet my inner pervert, deranged sadomasochistic chauvinist, and subsequent hell spawn of depression, Yami Eothr.

Yami Eothr: BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Eothr: ...who for the purpose of ease will simply be named YE from now on…

YE: OI!

Rhea: He has absolutely no shame…I should know, since he and I share real estate…all those dirty thoughts…he _really_ torments poor Eothr in his day-to-day life.

YE: Hey, he deserves it for keeping me suppressed 24/7!

Rhea: You could at least be grateful he's letting you out here in the Author's note!

YE: NEVER! I will drag him down into endless self-hating sorrow!

Eothr: TALI'ZORAH WAS PHOTOSHOPED AND COMMANDER SHEPARD HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN A, B, & C!

Rhea/YE: O_O…*sniff, sniff*….wah…wah…WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH! ToT

Eothr: …welcome to my personal hell…T-T…

**Update-5/22/12 7:30 CST:** Eothr: Wow I am a dumb bastard...but then, it was 3:00 in the morning when I posted this so please don't hate me. Thanks to a review from **Sedor** I've changed the date at the end of the Chapter from July to June. It was for a VERY DIFFERENT OCCAISION ENTIRELY! So, please send a PM of thanks to** Sedor** for catching that and reminding me of my stupidity.

YE: Keep up crap like this, and I'll start writing it!

Rhea: *shudder* Please don't.

**Update-6/1/12 8:30 CST: **Eothr: Fixed up some typos...I am really anal about grammar...

YE: *snicker* ...anal...

Rhea: *blushes* _Hentai!_

Codex:

"Talking" – Character speech

"_Konnichiwa_" – Character speech in Japanese outside of names and attacks

'_Thinking'_ –Character thought

"**Talking**"—Hollow speech

"_Zanpaku-tou Talking"_ –Specifically used for speech by Zanpaku-tou spirits

Author Disclaimer: This is different from the standard disclaimer. I have read in my reviews that a number of you would prefer that I stick to plain English throughout my story. I respect your wishes and ask that you continue to read my story. However, it is an aesthetic choice on my part to use Japanese terms when I feel they are appropriate. I prefer the Japanese dub of Bleach, and do not like certain translations from the English dub, most especially Soul Reaper. As a compromise, I will attempt to limit the amount of Japanese used throughout a chapter, but please respect that I enjoy using the terms, especially in conversations. Thank you for your kindness. Also, I've noticed an increase in this type of story, the whole "replace Rukia with Soifon" plot bunnies. If you see some similarities between them, it is because the ideas really are intertwined. I have had some inspiration from them lately, but the main plot points and character interactions were always there for me to write; I just actually had to _write_ them.

"_We should not shed tears, That is a surrender of the body to the heart, It is only proof, That we are beings that do not know, What to do with our hearts."_ – _Tite Kubo_

Warm…she felt _so_ warm…

A small groan escaped Soifon as a gentle, persistent tone sounded nearby; a waking alarm…did she set the clock early again? She couldn't remember for the life of her why she'd want to wake up while it was still dark; dawn was the most appropriate time… she didn't want to wake up… not when she was so comfy… the kind of comfort that comes from only the deepest sleep…

As her assassin-sharpened senses, dulled by the overwhelming sense of safety she felt, began to awaken, a scent brought her to a halt; it was a light, musky aroma that was both exciting… and terrifying… and in _extremely_ close proximity… Grey eyes wide open, the black-haired girl slowly raised her head, fear growing as she beheld in the dark a young man… underneath her… in bed…

All rational thought ceased as she tried to fathom just _what_ she was doing in bed with a man; her skin tingled beneath her white shirt from the contact between them, sensitively aware of an arm draped across her back; her bare legs trembled as she tried to ease herself backwards… until she bumped into an…"obstacle"…

Her face burning and her breath shaky, she looked behind her and saw, to her horror, a distinctive "bulge" blocking her escape... that's when she snapped…

* * *

Chapter 3: Training Blues and a Hollow Farewell

It was probably because he was so out of it that he never sensed it coming; or it could have been the proximity, seeing as how his instincts alerted him to his father's attacks before they got within his personal space; or, perhaps, he was too content in his dreaming thoughts to bother with the outside world.

Regardless, Ichigo was suddenly awoken by excruciating pain in his abdomen, face, and back, courtesy of a scrambling female kicking his body off the mattress. Coughing, the orange-haired teen looked up from his spot on the hardwood floor at his companion. Soifon was clutching the sheets to her chest, her face a blushing scowl; her eyes were decidedly flinty as she glared at him.

"-cough-Shaolin-cough-what—?" He didn't get much farther than that, as a pencil holder from his desk, _with_ the pencils in it, came careening at his face. Luckily, his adrenaline levels were high enough to help him dodge the projectile; else his face would have wound up resembling a pin cushion.

Wide-eyed, and more than a little scared, Ichigo risked a glance at the black-haired female; her nostrils flaring in anger and her teeth slightly bared, she looked absolutely _pissed_—and damn him if he didn't find that sexy as all hell.

"I _warned_ you. And don't look so innocent, you deserved it." She pointed at him—or rather, at his waist.

He looked down, and became thoroughly red-faced as he became aware of his "situation". Eyes downcast, mumbling an apology, Ichigo couldn't help feeling like the biggest idiot in existence. Caught with a morning erection by an attractive female; so totally _not_ cool.

Soifon rubbed her forehead, stifling a headache; her memories were finally becoming clear again—the Hollows, healing Ichigo, helping him control his reiatsu—and she realized she had overreacted. Looking at the downcast teenager, she couldn't help feeling the _slightest_ bit of guilt; the "kicked-puppy" look also tugged at her heartstrings.

She cleared her throat once, getting his attention. He gazed up at her out of his peripheral, one chocolate brown orb lightly obscured by his orange bangs; the cutely dejected appearance brought a new blush to her face, _'Oh, gods…'_ The girl shook her head, the twin tails of her black hair swaying as she fought down her thoughts.

"I… apologize…" at Ichigo's perked up look, Soifon suddenly envisioned a wagging tail as if he were a canine, only adding to the strangely puppy-ish quality of his current look, "I overreacted; between healing your wounds yesterday, and compressing your reiatsu, I must have simply exhausted myself, forgetting the fact that I'd fallen asleep with you."

After a minute, the carrot-top nodded mutely then stood and listened intently, motioning with his finger for Soifon to stay quiet; the young woman grabbed her still-beeping phone, silencing it. With all the commotion between them, he was worried that either Yuzu or Karin would have barged in out of worry. Thankfully, it appeared that luck was on their side; no pattering sounds of feet approaching his room.

"Okay," he whispered, looking at the time "let's get you to the school. Do you have supplies?" At the black-haired girl's negative, he sighed, "Well, not a problem. Part of our tuition includes student supplies. They'll have some."

Pulling out her glove, Soifon pressed her palm against Ichigo's chest, applying pressure to remove his soul from his body. A swirl of dense reiatsu surged as the orange-haired boy tried to compensate; his flesh-and-blood body helped him contain his vast power more than he realized. Panting, the youth focused on the singular-point of his chest from the night previous, forcing his reiatsu to solidify again. It was difficult…but eventually, he succeeded; however, it felt like he was packing an additional twenty-five kilograms of weight. Not fun.

After placing his body back on his mattress, thereby keeping the illusion of a sleeping teen, the Shinigami duo exited the room via the window, the petite female resting her knees against the lower shoulders of her larger partner, hands gripping his shoulders. With a mighty leap, Ichigo bound from the clinic to the roof of a house four blocks away, keeping a brisk pace towards the school building. The early morning air was surprisingly cool, forcing Soifon to seek more warmth by pressing herself against the teen's body; neither of them bothered voicing their embarrassment.

* * *

The trip was brief, but Ichigo circled the campus a number of times, eyes like a hawk. He observed the track team jogging towards the river, and the field teams were busy stretching on the soccer fields; they had their window.

His hands, holding the petite female's legs around his torso, flexed once; her arms, wrapped around his shoulders, tensed in response.

'_We're going in.'_

'_Do it.'_

The ginger-haired Shinigami leapt over the school gates and silently landed near the gymnasium, and the showers connected to them. With Soifon still saddling his back, Ichigo quickly entered the building, nearly gliding across the floor to the locker rooms. Before he could enter them though, he felt a tightened grip around his neck, and looked back at his "passenger". Her face was warm as she glared at him, before pointing up.

Following her outstretched arm, he felt himself blanching as the implication set in; there, in black bold kanji, was a single character:

'_**MEN'**_

The poor boy turned back to look at the raven-haired girl with a rather pitiful grimace, to which her response was a withering scowl. Sighing in defeat, the teen trudged into the opposite set of doors, above which was a different character:

'_**WOMEN'**_

Poor unfortunate soul.(1)

The women's locker rooms were mostly identical to the men's, so Ichigo easily navigated the white tiled space, nearing the wall of showerheads. The Shinigami Substitute knelt, feeling the smaller form of his companion lower herself from his back, but she suddenly yelped and clung to his back tighter. Concerned, Ichigo turned back to see her face buried into his robes.

"Soifon?"

The petite female looked up, her face beet-red and her charcoal eyes not amused, "Its cold," she then looked down at the offending pearl tiles, as if her ire could heat the floor at a whim.

Holding back a snicker, Ichigo then gently lowered her to a nearby bench, his over-sized t-shirt keeping her waist covered as she sat. He then moved to a nearby cabinet, carefully and tactfully removing a bottle of shampoo, a bar of soap, and a white, medium-sized towel. Hopefully the other female students wouldn't notice the gradually growing laundry, but optimism was never the berry-head's forte.

Returning to his female compatriot, he handed her the toiletries, "Probably don't have much time; I'll guard the doors, but you'd better hurry." Ichigo turned around, desperate to vacate "enemy territory", leaving the slightly shocked Soifon holding onto her supplies. She watched him walk out of the showers, the doors swinging noisily at his exit. Now alone, the black-haired woman whispered, "Thanks," then twisted the faucet nearest to her, steaming hot water cascading out the shower head.

*****************************************************WARNING: LIME****************************************************************

Quickly, she discarded her loaned shirt and panties, laying them next to the folded towels, and stepped up to wall, holding one arm underneath the steaming water. Soifon bit back a moan of satisfaction as the hot shower soothed her aches, and added a little more cold to the stream, the near-scalding cascade becoming pleasurably warm. The raven-haired beauty slid under the water's flow, leaning her head back and sighing in contentment as her whole body became warm and wet.

Long fingers slid across her arms and shoulders, making small, massaging circles and easing her tension. The stress of the past twenty-four hours had done a number on her nerves. Her left hand against her neck, the woman slowly brought her right down the center of her cleavage, debating whether she should or shouldn't; her index and middle finger grazing the very edge of either or, as little chills tickled her spine. A sigh escaped her as she brought her other hand to her chest, and each of her small, supple breasts was gently kneaded.

A moan _did_ escape this time, as the near-forgotten sensation sent heat shooting through her, even in the hot water of the shower. How long had it been since she last even _entertained_ the thought of pleasing herself? As another short breath followed a dual squeeze, she bitterly remembered that it had been _years_ since.

One hand rubbing across both of her breasts, she guided the other slowly down her stomach, dipping at her naval before reaching the edge of her waist. _'What am I doing?'_ She thought, feeling the hesitant twitch in her fingers.

A morbid sense of perversion clouded her thoughts as her shaking digits felt the small tuft of ebony hair nestled above her womanhood, the delicate bristles moist and wiry. Her body tingled as if shocked, and a fire smoldered in the pit of her stomach. She gasped sharply as her offending hand seemed to move all on its own, reaching further down and pressing against the walls of her vagina, not yet entering the folds.

"Oh_, _Kami…" the woman moaned, her fingers pressing and receding against her sex, fanning the flames of her arousal. Her other hand clenched her breast, the small pain adding to her excitement further. It had been _so_ long since…

**************************************************LIME HAS ENDED*******************************************************************

A flux in reiatsu brought her ministrations to a halt. Focusing, she soon felt the gentle envelopment of her newfound apprentice's reiatsu…before it quickly and suddenly retreated. As if embarrassed…

The sudden spike of heat in her body had absolutely nothing to do with the water or her stimulation. One hand against her forehead and the other wrapped around her stomach, Soifon tried to quell the embarrassment that turned her entire body red; she was failing, of course.

'_Oh, gods, just how long was…?'_ her thoughts raced as she tried to find someone to blame for this; common sense dictated that it was _herself_ at fault, but that was absolutely ridiculous, she was minding her own personal business, thank you damn much!; righteous feminine anger said _he_ was to blame, but she was able to rationalize that he was just performing his duty as her "guard"…; old memories tried to place the blame on _Her_, but that was absolutely illogical; in the end, she blamed it on a she-devil, a buxom and perverted shotacon she-devil.

Satisfied she could at least continue on with her initial task, the raven-haired woman began lathering shampoo onto her scalp, desperate to get the grime out. She did not see the empty eyes that watched her hungrily…

* * *

Left to his own devices, Ichigo stood outside the locker rooms with vigilance, ready to dash in and alert his companion so they could avoid an incident. He was currently running scenarios in his head of _how_ they were supposed to do so, and was coming up a bit frustrated.

'_The only thing that might work would be the classic "Run-and-Gun", but there's still the odd chance that someone will see a half-naked girl flying through the air for no apparent reason…'_ thought the agitated teen. He sometimes hated having an analytical mind.

He was leaning against the wall nearest the doors to the women's showers, arms crossed and gaze steely. It was, however, boring. Thinking about their situation, so early in the morning, was giving him a headache. He needed to calm down…

He closed his eyes and began meditating, remembering Soifon's words from the night prior. As gently as he could, he "felt" his reiatsu expand outwards, about a meter-and-a-half's worth; the swirling, ephemeral energy coating the nearby environment gave him a startlingly accurate "picture" of the real world.

Slowly, he reached out further, keeping a tight rein on his immense energy. He could "see" the benches and lockers behind him, and sure enough the showers came into "view". The orange-haired boy then wondered if maybe he shouldn't be doing this, when he suddenly "saw" Soifon…

His heart stopped as his reiatsu outlined the beautiful woman in perfect detail, revealing to him what even her school uniform hadn't. Her gorgeous features rippling as the water from the shower played with his searching energies, he finally became aware of the position of her hands.(2)

'…_oh…my…'_

Frantically Ichigo recalled his energy back, practically face-planting as he suppressed the expansive reiatsu into his body. His entire body seemed to burn as he blushed, his prudish nature at war with his suddenly screaming libido.

'_Sh-Shaolin…naked…and…holy shit, was she…?'_

'_YEEEEEEAAAAAHH!'_

'_No! NO! No erotic thoughts!'_

'_YOU ABSOLUTE PUSSY! SHE WAS TOTATLLY DOING "IT" WHEN YOU CAUGHT HER IN THE ACT!'_

'_Gurk! CAUGHT?'_

'BAKA!_ SHE'S AN EXPERIENCED SHINIGAMI, OF COURSE SHE FELT YOU CATCHING HER!'_

The realization that he had essentially been a peeping tom only sent youth further into embarrassment, clutching at his tangerine hair and shaking his head in frenzy, _'Oh, damn, she's gonna kill me!'_

'_HOW D'YA KNOW THAT SHE WASN'T THINKING OF _YOU_ WHILE DOING "IT"?'_

'…_eh?'_

'_DUMBASS!'_

Ichigo grumbled as his Id and Ego continued to fight for dominance, sliding to the ground and rubbing his temples, while fighting down a massive erection. For about ten minutes the orange-haired youth continued to grumble to himself and work up his resolve around his embarrassment.

Just as he was about to think up an apology, a sudden shift in the air gave him pause. Eyes open, he gripped the thin hilt of his bandaged sword, focusing on the environment. A sudden shout from within the showers caused the teen to flinch, before running inside and witnessing a lumbering, white mass plow into the steaming wall from which he saw Soifon dive aside.

Instinctively, the Shinigami Substitute dashed up and threw a punch at the Hollow, sending it flying towards the far wall of the locker room. Blade drawn, he looked down to see the raven-haired female lying on the tile floor, fastening her towel around her torso tightly. Relieved to see her in one piece, Ichigo turned his attention back to their unwanted "guest".

As far as Hollows go, this one was strange: it had 4 legs jutting down from a white, centipede-like body, each "segment" was round and reminded the boy of a caterpillar, a pair of flat, flimsy arms at each interval, and at the head of the monster was a face like a pig.(3)

"**OOOIINK!" **

"Wow, ain't you an ugly bastard…" A dark grin adorned Ichigo's face as he readied his Zanpaku-tou. The Hollow lunged at him, two of its right arms rushing down with the intent to smother the interrupting nuisance. The Hollow roared again as its limbs were sliced clean through, and the Shinigami leapt up to its mask to deliver a round-house kick that sent the beast screaming. The screams stopped as the blade sliced through the mask and upper body, slaying the Hollow, but not before the mass of its remains crashed into the upper wall of the locker room, sending debris and water everywhere.

Ichigo looked on in mild horror at the collateral damage, feeling himself getting soaked as the burst water main sprayed the entire area. A moment later, alarms sounded and the emergency sprinklers kicked in. Fire alarm; _not_ good. Without really thinking about, the orange-haired teen removed the top-most layer of his upper shihakushou leaving his torso in just the white kimono, and wrapped up a still stunned Soifon, who was clutching her previously dry articles of clothing to her chest, and picked her up bridal style before speeding out from the showers, the gym, and then away from the school.

His heart racing, Ichigo blazed back to his house like his soul depended on it. It only took seconds, and the poor youth was panting like crazy because of it. He almost crash-landed into his room, barely stopping from a painful landing. His body shaking, the youth lowered Soifon to the floor, easing her out of his black clothing. The young woman was clearly soaked, her towel clinging to her body. She was shaking as well, cold and dripping. Damn Hollows have the _worst_ timing.

The teen eased himself back into his body, still panting from exertion. As he looked over at the trembling female, he felt his heart stop for the second time that morning. The white, damp towel was molded to her frame, keeping the very top-most of her breasts to her upper thigh covered. In the growing light of the dawning sun, the moisture on her arms and legs glistened. Droplets from her wet hair fell down her face, sliding along her cheeks, nose, lips, and neck. She was beautiful. At which point, his previous hard-on twitched with renewed vigor, drawing both their blushing attention. Then they looked each other in the eyes, his brown wide in fear and apology at her angry, burning grey.

"…you have 3 seconds, Kurosaki…" she seethed, her anger and embarrassment actually helping to warm herself up.

The poor youth looked away, trying desperately to think of _anything_ to shake himself of his issue, failing spectacularly due to the incredibly attractive, wet, _naked_ female presence glaring at him. By the time 2 seconds passed, they both heard frantic pattering approaching his room. The teen scrambled to the door and the woman scrambled under the covers, before the door opened up to reveal his disheveled father.

"Ichigo! Wake up, boy! There's a huge ruckus going on at your school!" the black-haired Kurosaki cried, before barreling down the steps. Ichigo, from his door-way, watched as his two sisters also followed his insane father. He looked back at his bed, where Soifon was mouthing at him to go, then closed his door and followed the family down.

* * *

It wasn't even 6 o'clock yet, but Ichigo just knew it was going to be a _long_ day…

Kurosaki Isshin had been watching the early morning news when the first reports came in. As fire and police crews reached the school and confirmed the safety of the track and field teams, they began investigating the campus, with the news reporters on their heels like dogs.

Ichigo watched, along with his excitable father and worried sisters, as the camera panned from one end of the women's locker rooms to the others, the complaining voices of the police officers drowned out by the torrential spray of the ruptured waterline. A mixture of grim acceptance and optimistic denial plagued the teen's thoughts as the reporter talked into the camera, her make-up running from the water,

"It seems that, once again, a 'leak' in a pipeline has resulted in destruction, the location this time being Karakura High School. The current damage appears to be both a minor gas-heating line and the women's locker room water main. This incident, the third case in the past 24 hours, has become a cause for concern with Province Officials, and recent updates speculate that a full investigation will be initiated…"

"Ne, Ichi-nii, talk about a crazy coincidence, huh?" Karin muttered, rubbing her mop of black hair. Looking up at her brother, she noticed a tick in his right eye, a sign of his agitation. She decided to poke some fun at him, "Oi, you didn't bring bad luck on yourself, did you? Walked under a ladder? Broke a mirror? Black cat crossed your path?"

The berry-head snorted, bringing a pinky finger to his ear, and appeared disinterested, "That's all superstition, Karin. Like horoscopes. I don't buy it."

The dark-eyed girl regarded her detached brother a moment longer, and then breathed a long-suffering sigh, "Of course you don't."

"Onii-chan…" Ichigo stopped and looked down at the tearful brown eyes of Yuzu, "You shouldn't just scoff at such things! We're all very lucky it happened before you went to school! It could have gone off in one of the classrooms!" By this point, the youngest Kurosaki was crying freely, her siblings sharing grimaced looks of helplessness.

Ichigo knelt down and hugged her to his chest, Karin joining them by putting her arms around her twin. The small girl hiccupped as she tried to calm down, eyes closed as she nuzzled into her big brother's shirt. Neither Ichigo nor Karin could keep their small smiles from forming; it was easy to forget how strong little Yuzu had to be in order to keep their family together.

"HUUUUOOOOOHH!"

All three flinched as their insane and hyper-active father began jumping around like a two-year old on a sugar rush, pointing at the television in animated gestures, "Yuzu! Yuzu! They've got a special on okonomiyaki ingredients and yakisoba noodles at the grocery store! Please, Yuzu, you know how much Tou_-_chan loves your _modanyaki_, can we please-?" The black-haired patriarch's rant was cut short as a 15-year old fist and an 11-year old foot found their ways into his face and stomach respectively, sending the injured Isshin reeling back, "Oh…Okaa_-_san…our children are too strong…" before falling onto the floor, twitching in agony.

The steaming, shaking limbs of Ichigo and Karin Kurosaki were still out-stretched, their matched glares regarding their idiot father for ruining a precious family moment. Poor Yuzu, her tears mostly dried, looked back and forth between her siblings, mumbling softly, "Please don't fight…" Worming her way out of their grips, the littlest Kurosaki began wrapping her apron around her waist and strolled into the kitchen, as Isshin begged for Karin to stop kicking him and Ichigo continued to watch the news, ignoring the cries of pain.

And so began another day in the Kurosaki Clinic.

* * *

After another hour or so, once they'd all had a bit of breakfast, Ichigo went upstairs to get dressed; the newscaster reported that all students needed to report for attendance, so that their safety was assured, but classes were most certainly cancelled for the day.

He managed to pilfer some food with him up to his room ("Sorry Yuzu, but I'm still a little hungry." "You're going to get fat, Onii-chan!"), where Soifon had finally dried herself off with fresh towels he'd slipped to her earlier. She eagerly ate the rice and eggs, much to Ichigo's amusement. After sneaking the black-haired girl out of his window in her own uniform, a fully dressed Ichigo made his way down and out of the house, dropping off the dishes in the kitchen. Bidding his family goodbye, the orange-haired teen set out at a brisk pace towards school. As he passed the street at the end of the block, he became aware that Soifon had joined him, though he had no idea _when_ she snuck up on him.

"You're scary, you know that?" the teen mumbled, after forcing his heart to stay in his chest. She only hummed in satisfaction. Together the two made their way to the campus, the berry-headed teen stealing glances at his smaller companion. Unfortunately for Ichigo, the black-haired girl hadn't missed him doing so, "You are to forget everything you saw, if you know what's good for you…"

The open-ended threat was enough to keep Ichigo from testing his luck, his previously flushed face paling. Within half an hour, the two Shinigami were standing amongst their fellow homeroom students, calling out affirmatives as Ochi-sensei went through the class roster. The pair made their way to Orihime and Tatsuki, the former yawning cutely as she scratched her disheveled head; obviously the latter teen hadn't allowed her best friend the luxury of a morning brushing before rushing over to inspect the school. As Ichigo and Soifon approached, the chestnut-haired girl smiled her pearly whites, "_Ohaiyo_, Kurosaki-kun, Soifon-san!"

"Hey Inoue, Tatsuki," the youth said, offering a half-hearted wave. The shorter raven-head bowed politely as the taller grinned in greeting, "Yo, Ichigo! Bummer about the school, huh?" At his incredulous look, Tatsuki only sighed, "Figures you wouldn't care; today was Free Day in Gym, and I could've used the time to practice. We need to be in top form before Nationals, and I'm planning to kick some major ass!" The young woman finished her declaration by pounding her right fist into her open left palm, eliciting a giggle from Orihime.

That statement caused a few other chuckles from the student crowd, but the gigai-bound Shinigami's eyes widened at Tatsuki's declaration, "You are a martial artist?" At the taller female's confident nod, Soifon felt her own confidence settle into a smirk, "Perhaps you would be willing to spar?"

_That_ got a response, as a number of other students began calling out for the match. As for Tatsuki, she regarded the petite girl before her with a critical eye, looking at her now from a fighter's perspective as opposed to simply a fellow classmate. Soifon placed one hand on her hip, favoring her weight to one side as she endured the scrutiny. Finally, after a solid 5 minutes, Tatsuki flashed a feral grin, "You're on, Soifon."

Smirks in place, the raven-haired females made their way to an open spot that would serve as their sparring ground, the crowd of students following noisily, and an aggravated Ichigo feeling dragged along. He really didn't see the need for this, but maybe he'd be better off just keeping his thoughts to himself while Soifon made her own choices. The phantom pain of a foot to the face reminded him of her hidden strength beneath that petite frame. It would be less troublesome for him to just stay out of the way. Although…

An idea formed in his head as he watched the two girls begin stretching before their fight; a gym teacher had been called in to serve as a referee, and was standing in the middle of the agreed upon "circle". Tatsuki was nodding and chatting with Orihime while she flexed, while Soifon was giving Ichigo a pointed look from her starting position. It seemed like she had a similar thought pattern…

The orange-haired teen entered the circle himself, to the surprise of the assembled student body; a few outcries at Ichigo as he warmed-up brought a mischievous smirk to his face, since his reputation alone influenced the nature of the hidden gambling, and a few self-made "bookies" had to scramble to adjust to this turn of events. Tatsuki just looked shocked as she approached him, "Ichigo?"

"I know we haven't had a good spar since middle school…and I know I haven't kept up with or even practiced all the advanced katas like you have…" he turned to his oldest friend with a serious expression, "but I've been fighting nearly every single day since then; this is a test, a trial run, that pits your carefully practiced regimen versus my frantic, raw experience." At her unsure look, he raised his hands in a placating gesture, "Think of it this way: you've been fighting against opponents of similar styles and limitations; _I've_ been fighting against guys that have tried to beat the living shit out of me, sometimes with lethal weapons. I've been pushed past my limits in real combat, but have you?"

It took another minute of quiet thinking before Tatsuki nodded, a fierce fire in her dark eyes, "You'd better not go easy on me Ichigo." Ichigo matched her gaze, "Wouldn't dream of it." The karate-girl grinned before turning back to her starting position. Ichigo looked at Soifon, catching her subtle nod; this match would do more than what the two childhood friends spoke of, if the petite young woman had anything to say about it.

The three combatants finally settled into their ready stances. Both Soifon and Tatsuki were set into similarly styled, but distinctly different positions, while Ichigo just looked like an amateur by comparison, which was partially his strategy. The gym teacher took the center of the formation, raising his arm to get the crowd's attention, "This will be a 3-way, free-for-all melee between Arisawa Tatsuki, Transfer Student Soifon, and Kurosaki Ichigo. This is a spar only; no dishonorable tactics or lethal actions are to taken, or the offending participant _will_ be suspended and possibly expelled. Have a clean fight." As the arm tensed, so did the three students. The arm came down, "_Hajime!"_

The three exploded into action.

Ichigo took the initiative by lunging into the center in a slide, swinging his left leg out at Tatsuki, who blocked his shin with her forearm, while simultaneously jabbing out his left fist at Soifon's thigh. The shorter of the two black-haired girls vaulted over the limb, and struck out with her fist, aiming for Ichigo's exposed ribs. The momentum from his sliding kick aided the teen in ducking beneath the attack, rebounding from the ground with his right hand to give him some breathing room.

The two females then exchanged a dozen strikes and parries; Soifon's were faster than Tatsuki's, but the taller girl's blows were harder than the shorter one's. Soifon could already feel the bruising in her arms and wrists after to two parted; Tatsuki then had to go on the defensive as Ichigo settled on her as his target.

Jab. Dodge. Thrust. Evade. Chop. Parry. It was an elegant dance that the two had not shared in over four years, but they could read each other's movements as if they had never stopped. Ichigo caught sight of Soifon's charge in his peripheral and spun with his knee raised to swipe aside her high kick, which barely nicked his shoulder. Now between the two girls, the young man struggled to keep on his toes, as both females struck out in rapid-fire attacks.

The first point was finally awarded to Tatsuki as she caught Ichigo, while he was distracted with Soifon, with a palm thrust just above the solar plexus, along the sternum, sending him backwards as he coughed in response. The referee called the point and told the three to take a quick breather. The two girls were panting and both coated in a light sheen of sweat along their arms and legs; the boy was on one knee, taking shaky breaths as he coughed away the last of his pain.

'_Passable speed and decent strength…'_ Soifon thought, rubbing her wrists gingerly. She felt pleased, overall, with this little exercise; it wasn't the same intensity as her normal routines, but Tatsuki was definitely a worthy opponent, and Ichigo was without a doubt a hardened fighter, even if he lacked the multi-tasking skills necessary for taking on two opponents…something to work on…

Thirty seconds after the teacher's interruption, Ichigo stood up and placed himself in a more recognizable stance, his eyes hard. It was a look that said he was going to be serious in the next round. Soifon and Tatsuki both nodded at the ref, and readied themselves too. The teacher raised his arm again, "Round 2, _hajime_!"

This time Tatsuki began the offensive, veering more towards Ichigo, the obvious target; after all, he'd already proven to be an easy win, right? The shorter of the two black-haired fighters's narrowed her eyes at the implication and _really_ focused on the orange-haired Substitute Shinigami. The evaluation of his skills depended on the outcome of this next fight.

Ichigo didn't disappoint. Meeting his friend head-on, Ichigo countered her every move with quick blocks that frustrated the teenager, while simultaneously weaving in and out of the shorter girl's assaults. The orange-haired youth surprised both of them by catching their wrists, rotating him and the two in a strange contortion of the human spine, and caught both females in the stomachs on his outstretched leg, the limb reverberating between the two and knocking them both on their asses.

They were all panting heavily now, as the referee called the second point. Even though Ichigo hit both Tatsuki and Soifon, the rules of the match were such that no combatant could game the system by accruing multiple points per round, even though it was a 3-way match. The raven-haired females rose shakily to their feet, both glaring at Ichigo. Said Strawberry had a smirk on his face as he regained his breath.

'_Surprisingly strategic mentality and ability to multi-task…'_ Soifon slowed her breathing and wiped the sweat from her eyes. This was getting interesting. Now, she just had one last little test to try, glancing over at Tatsuki as her plan formulated. The three students readied themselves again when the gym teacher raised his arm for the third time, _'Time to see what a _real_ hand-to-hand combatant can do…'_ she thought confidently.

"Round 3, _hajime!_"

This time, neither Ichigo nor Tatsuki knew what hit them. Soifon was a blur between them, jumping over punches and kicks, evading grapples and knee jabs, and generally being the equivalent of greased lightning. Twice the two childhood friends tried to focus on each other, but then the petite girl would hound them equally until she had both their attentions; it was ridiculous! Finally, both tired and frustrated, the two taller teens made their mistakes and were unguarded. Soifon ducked below Tatsuki's kick and swept her other leg, sending her crashing into the ground, and then clenched the elbow of Ichigo's punching arm before jabbing him twice in the side.

Gasping from pain Ichigo, backed away, and glared at his partner. Dammit that hurt! He looked over to see Tatsuki gasping as well from the pain in her tailbone as a result of her fall, with Orihime fretting over her in worry. The orange-haired youth gestured to the ref to hold off as he stumbled over to Tatsuki. The poor girl was fighting to keep the tears out of her eyes as she rubbed her sore rear, which earned a few laughs and catcalls. Ichigo glared at the offending pricks, while Soifon kneeled down beside her victim with a remorseful look, "My apologies, Tatsuki-san."

Wincing, Tatsuki just waved it off, a forced smile on her face, "Nah…it happens…my fault not keeping my guard up…damn you're good, Soifon." She gave a small laugh as she accepted Ichigo's outstretched hand, helping her up to her feet. At the expectant calls of the crowd, the three shared an uneasy look before Soifon shook her head in the negative. Tatsuki and Ichigo, and Orihime for that matter, sighed in relief. The crowd groaned as the ref called the match a tie, which earned a few glares from the berry head.

Eventually the throng of teenagers dispersed, all of them grumbling in disappointment at the outcome of the fight. Orihime and Tatsuki bid the other two farewell as they left the school grounds, the black-haired girl walking gingerly to alleviate her pain. Ichigo shared a look with Soifon before they too left the area.

* * *

"Did you get what you wanted out of that? And was it really necessary?"

Soifon thought for a moment before addressing her partner's question, "Yes, I'd say so, on both accounts. Why, are you upset? About the draw?" She really hoped he wasn't that vain. At the withering look he gave her, she had to guess it was not.

"I've known Tatsuki all my life, and I don't think I've ever seen her that close to crying. She's always been tough, and she's worked hard to make sure that everyone sees her as tough; what happened back there will follow her till Senior Year. So, frankly, if you didn't get what you intended out of that, then she was basically humiliated for next to nothing." The youth's voice had taken on a low, growling tone, a sign of his restrained anger. Soifon was slightly startled at the accusation, before narrowing her eyes.

"Everyone falls, Ichigo, especially when they are at their highest. If Arisawa Tatsuki does have the reputation you speak of, then she should have no issue maintaining that reputation after this single instance." She continued to walk along, before pausing to look back at the glaring teen, "Though I admit my surprise that you concern yourself with others like that. I was under the impression that only your family was worth such special attention…"

His eyes widened at that, before looking aside in uncertainty, "…Tatsuki's my oldest friend…and she's something of a role-model to Karin. She's practically family…" He trudged forward, catching up to the black-haired Shinigami. His eyes met hers, their expression unreadable. Without another word, they continued on to a less trafficked area of the town.

Arriving at an empty lot, Soifon turned to Ichigo, "You have decent speed and overall good hand-to-hand skills. In Shinigami training, the two arts are called _houhou_ and _hakuda_ respectively, and reflect one's ability to combat Hollows using only their bodies. My division specializes in these combat abilities, and I needed to evaluate your instinctive fighting to judge just how much we need to focus on those." Crossing her arms in from of her chest, she gave him a small nod, "In your _reishi_—or spirit particle—body, you would be on par with most of the seated officers in my division, just below the Lieutenant position. The fact that you are naturally this efficient means we can focus on other areas of your training."

One eyebrow raised, Ichigo then asked, "So what training _will_ I be doing?"

"So impatient…" she muttered, shaking her head in mild amusement, which only flustered the ginger-haired boy in response. She sighed before uncrossing her arms, "The other two arts of combat are called _zanjutsu_ and _kidou_—sword techniques and demon magic. You've shown a frighteningly efficient aptitude for sword fighting, so there's really very little there I need to address, which means the majority of our training sessions will focus on physical conditioning, _reiatsu_ suppression, and _kidou_ study."

"'Demon magic'? Shinigami use _demonic_ techniques?"

"Shinigami are spirits of Death itself, Ichigo. We certainly aren't angels of Heaven now, are we?" She explained in exasperation, "and we _aren't_ agents of Hell. However, there _is_ a pact between the Shinigami and Hell, which you are now aware of after yesterday's incident. That pact is also the basis for the magic used by Shinigami to combat Hollows. Demon magic is extremely powerful and diverse, encompassing a wide variety of spells to deal with multiple situations. It's divided into two types, Binding and Destruction, with 100 levels in each branch. The higher the level, the more powerful the spell, thus the greater the requirement of _reiatsu_ needed to cast it."

She held up a hand with her index finger extended, "Normally, Shinigami recruits begin from the first level of both types and work their way up, building up their _reiatsu_ levels until they can competently cast at least 50 _kidou_ spells. Some are more efficient at _hadou_—Destruction—spells, and others at _bakudou_—Binding—spells. Unfortunately for us, we will be working backwards from the normal routine; with your substantially larger spirit energy levels, we won't have a rabbit's chance in a fox den of getting you to cast the lower tier spells, especially the Binding branch."

Ichigo grimaced at the influx of new information, his head feeling like it was going to burst. All this crap about magic and sword fighting, it was like a frigging RPG for Pete's sake! Just what the fucking hell had he gotten himself into when he let the pretty girl stab him in the chest?

"So, what about the 'suppression' stuff?" he asked, rubbing his face in frustration.

A small blush marred her cheeks as the previous night's incident, but she kept her face stern, "Yes, just like last night, suppressing the vast _reiatsu_ that can physically interact with the living world is a necessity for Shinigami. The most obvious sign of a larger-than-average _reiatsu_ is the state of a Shinigami's Zanpaku-tou."

The Substitute appeared shocked at that, before getting a contemplative look, "Huh? The Zanpaku-tou? Now you mention it, why is that my sword is the shape it is? If I took _your_ power from you, shouldn't I have a wakizashi like you had?"

"Good question." Soifon held out her two hands, palms up, "Imagine in my left hand a paper bag holds a small rubber ball, and both the bag and the ball are blue; with me so far?" He nodded at her, "Now imagine another bag in my right hand that's orange and empty." She smirked at his irate expression; how amusing. "The ball is the _reiryoku_—the spirit energy—that makes up an individual's _reiatsu_, and the bags are the _reishi_ bodies. Now, imagine you take the blue ball from out of the blue bag and place it in the orange bag; does the ball become orange?"

A small, real smile formed at Ichigo's look of realization, "Every Shinigami has a unique spiritual signature that manifests itself as a released Zanpaku-tou. In the event that a Shinigami's power comes from another, the original _reiryoku _adapts to the signature of its current _reishi_ host; that blade of yours is a reflection of my power…which is actually kind of insulting, really," she gave him an annoyed look, "as an assassin, the shape of your sword is embarrassing."

Ichigo blushed fiercely at that, "It's not my fault!"

The petite girl gave him a rather pensive look, "…actually, yes it is."

The teen growled once before sighing, "Okay, so my weapon is my soul's interpretation of the Shinigami power I got from you when you stabbed me that night. Is that it in a nutshell?" A nod was his answer, "And what's the importance of this training? I've been handling the Hollows pretty well, so far."

"I knew you were going to ask that," Soifon was amused at his incredulous look; they hadn't been together 48 hours and she was already reading him like a book. Really, he just made it too easy for her. She took a deep breath before giving her orange-haired companion a serious look, surprising him.

"What I did that night is considered a capital offense in Soul Society; transference of power to a living mortal is punishable by execution. Had it not been for a number of circumstances, I wouldn't have stuck around. Instead, I would have contacted Soul Society, admitted to my crime, and awaited my punishment."

"Just like that?" Ichigo's scowling face hid his shock well; she would have _willingly_ accepted execution?

"It is my duty to uphold the Law of Soul Society. If my duty demands I sacrifice my life, then so be it." She said firmly.

"…is that why you saved me the way you did?" The boy's voice was low. He found that he didn't like the direction of their conversation.

Soifon was silent for a few moments, her grey eyes boring into his brown ones. Her frame was rigid and her face was tense, like she was anxious about her next words. Finally, she spoke softly, "What is in the past is past. I cannot honestly answer you because I myself am unsure. As far as I'm concerned, it was a rookie mistake and I very much could have handled the situation better. Now, however, we need to focus on getting you ready."

"…ready for what?" he asked, slightly miffed at her not-answer.

"For your evaluation." She approached him slowly, "If you can show my superiors that you are competently capable of fulfilling the necessary duties of a Shinigami, they might, and I'm being extremely optimistic when I say that, just might give you a pass and reduce my punishment for giving you my power. At best, I will face probation and house arrest; at worst, I may very well have to wear a _reiatsu_ suppressing seal until my death. Either way, you will escape supreme judgment, and may even be submitted into the Shinigami ranks as a member of the _Gotei Juusan_—The 13 Court Guard Squads."

Amber eyes widened at the scope of what Ichigo could expect. The sudden realization of just how much Soifon had already done for him and what she was willing to do for him left a warm feeling in his chest and a softness of his features as he gazed down at her. She was his mentor and partner…and maybe even his friend, if he was lucky. He nodded solemnly at her, "Okay. Let's do this."

"I'm glad." The black-haired young woman smiled at his acceptance, "But be warned that this isn't going to be easy; we've got a _lot_ of work ahead of us and I'm going to put you through Hell to get you ready." Her smile had turned downright feral at this point.

Ichigo offered her his own feral smile, "I can take anything you throw at me."

Famous last words.

* * *

It was late afternoon when Tatsuki and Orihime had reached her apartment. The two young women had spent their day off together, with the black-haired girl carefully moving about to avoid pressing against her aching tailbone. Orihime fawned over Tatsuki the whole day, much to the athletic girl's chagrin. Her buxom friend kept offering to pay for a massage for Tatsuki or some pain relieving ointment. The chestnut-haired beauty just couldn't stand the sight of her very best friend in pain.

"Mou~, that was a very mean thing that Soifon-san did, Tatsuki-chan! She didn't hurt Kurosaki-kun nearly as much as she hurt you!" the voluptuous teen pouted.

Tatsuki raised an eyebrow at her energetic companion, "It was a spar, Orihime, injuries happen all the time. Yes it hurts, and yes I wound up embarrassing myself a bit, but I'll get over it. I'm still the best on the karate team, so I've got that going for me. Can't you just let it go?" The teen let out a long-suffering sigh at the exaggerated glower that Orihime was trying to put out, but was just too cute to manage.

Resting on her hip at Orihime's living room table, Tatsuki took a sip of her drink before offering her friend a smile, "Anyway, I'm actually a bit happy. That was the first time I'd gotten to fight Ichigo in a while; it was actually fun! And Soifon is no slouch either, did you see the way she moved?"

Orihime frowned at the enthusiasm from her raven-haired companion. Really, such excitement about fighting… "Yeah. Kurosaki-kun was amazing, and Soifon-san was really strong too."

"Although…" Tatsuki frowned, thinking about the fight and the events from yesterday, "isn't it a bit strange that this new girl shows up and all of a sudden things get a bit interesting? The damage to the Kurosaki Clinic, Ichigo's reaction to the girl when she nearly fell in class, the explosions across the town…and Ichigo taking an interest in a spar with me that just also happens to involve said new girl?" She had a thoughtful look, "It's all a bit too convenient…"

"Um, uh, I think Tatsuki-chan is reading too much into it." Orihime offered gently, always nervous when the discussion turned to her crush. She should really find a means of getting over her shyness, but it wasn't as easy as she hoped.

"Hm. Maybe, maybe not."

For the next few hours as evening turned into night, the two girls shared topics, from minor gossip (neither of them were as nosy as a good number of their fellow classmates), to Ichigo, to the recent streak of gas main accidents, to Ichigo again, to the current activities of the karate team and the sewing club, back to Ichigo, to the recent episodes of "Spontaneous Trips starring Hell's Messenger Don Kanonji", to Ichigo.

…did we mention Ichigo?

"Seriously Orihime, you've gotta make a move if you really want him to notice you! Just shove your breasts in his face and let hormones play out!" Tatsuki said with a fierce blush, smirking at her friends lovely red cheeks.

"T-Tatsuki-chan, that's not nice!" Good heavens this was embarrassing! Orihime loved Tatsuki to death, she really did, but the words that spewed from that mouth would often send the poor brunette into fits of daydreams, not all of them innocent. By the end of her current train of thought, she was vaguely wondering if Ichigo would look good in that western "Rocketeer" outfit while flying between two, peach colored dirigibles.

…she decided that, indeed, he did, if her blushing was anything to measure by.

Tatsuki heaved a big sigh as she shook her head, black tresses swaying with the action, "Seriously, even if he's never once showed an ounce of being physically attracted to anyone, he's still a hormonal male teenager. _Something_ will happen if you make a move; otherwise you might lose him to someone, like Soifon."

"Eh? Do you think Kurosaki-kun would be attracted to Soifon-san?" the chestnut-haired girl asked, her curiosity peaked.

The black-haired teen paused for a moment, thinking hard. It was a bit ludicrous from a certain perspective, but what else could explain the fact that the two were obviously spending time together? They had even arrived at the school together for crying out loud!

She really didn't want to burst any happy bubbles of her friend, but she had to remain objective on the matter, "Honestly…it's possible."

"So then, Kurosaki-kun is attracted to black-haired girls who are good at beating him at martial arts?" Orihime asked coyly, seeing the potential for a little embarrassment revenge.

It took only a moment for Tatsuki light up in a full-body blush, "NANI? W-W-What are you saying, Orihime?" That was a blatant shot at her! From Orihime! Next thing the poor girl would discover would be Hanshou Chizuru's declaration that she was straight!

The voluptuous teenager giggled into her hand, "Hee hee, Tatsuki-chan is really red right now!"

Said "red" Tatsuki reached over and pinched Orihime's cheeks between her thumbs and index fingers, stretching the skin outward, "I'll show you red!" She growled out, drowning out the cries of "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" For the curious reader, please note that Arisawa Tatsuki has several levels in tsundere, same as Kurosaki Ichigo and Fon Shaolin.

As the two rough-housed, a dull –_thump!_- alerted the two girls to the small shrine against the wall of Orihime's apartment. A small, dirty teddy-bear had fallen to the floor, a large rip in its forehead revealing white stuffing. Orihime raced over, crying out "Enraku-kun!", while Tatsuki scooted over, looking confused.

Tears welled up in her eyes as the voluptuous girl looked over the damage, her athletic friend trying to offer her support. Neither one of them saw the clawed, blood-red hand rip out of the toy's stuffing and pierce through Orihime's chest.

* * *

'_Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai.'_

Kurosaki Ichigo swore to _never_ tempt Fate with the Famous Last WordsTM ever again. Between the spar from this morning, learning and memorizing a half-dozen 50-ish levels hadou spells, and the "physical conditioning" from personal time with Soifon, he felt half dead as he showered. Even the usually soothing effects of the hot water could only do so much for his strained and sore muscles. Soifon had only used healing kidou on the most obvious of his bruises, so as not to alert his family to odd injuries.

Ending his shower and toweling off, Ichigo thought he had his work cut out for him. Each kidou incantation had taken almost an hour to learn, and using the spell without blowing himself or anything other than the intended target had been a messy affair of trial and error. Still, he was determined to progress to the point were he could be deemed acceptable by Soul Society standards; he owed Soifon that much at least.

Toweling his orange hair dry as he made his way to his room, Ichigo realized that he had come to accept this new and bizarre twist of his life with fairly minimal complaint, all things considered. Gods above, his life was weird. After checking he wasn't being watched, Ichigo slipped into his room to see Soifon standing there in blue jeans and a black t-shirt, holding her phone and wearing an intense expression.

"Good, you're here; this just came in. Look at it and tell me if you know where it is." Tossing the small device to him, the raven-haired female pulled out her glove and approached her partner. She stopped dead at his shocked expression, "What is it?"

"This is…this is Inoue's address!" What would a Hollow be doing chasing after Orihime? She couldn't see ghosts could she?

"Shit! That makes things complicated. Let's go, we don't have time." Slamming her gloved hand into his chest, the petite girl made her way to the window as his Shinigami form burst out of his body, which was placed into the bed. Grabbing onto his back, the pair leapt out into the night sky, Ichigo taking the direction to Orihime's apartment complex.

"I don't understand, why would this Hollow target Inoue? As far as I know she can't see spirits. Could I have left a residue of my _reiatsu_ on her that attracted it?" Gods, the implications of that…

"That's unlikely, you've been keeping it suppressed since you became a Shinigami, so such a thing is improbable. Tell me this, does Inoue Orihime have any recently deceased relatives?" _'Please tell me "no". Please tell me "no". Please tell me-'_

"Yes. A much older brother, died about three years back." Ichigo offered, leaping to another building.

"…fuck."

Her curse nearly sent him crashing, as he turned to look at her with frantic eyes, "What? Why 'fuck'? 'Fuck' is not a good thing. Please tell me why there is a 'fuck'." He slowed a bit to let her explain, but not by much.

"…Ichigo…when a whole spirit becomes a Hollow, they lose their hearts, their sense of self, and don the white-bone masks that distinguishes them. Hollows eat souls to fill the void left behind by their missing hearts…and the ones that hold the strongest places in their hearts are the first targets; family…"

Ichigo looked back at Soifon with wide eyes, "You've got to be kidding me…"

"You're familiar with tales of elderly dieing within a short time after their spouse? It's because their mate became a Hollow and ate them to fill the void in their soul…" Soifon said softly, very uncomfortable with this element of Hollow knowledge; it was enough to move any being to sorrow, "When you said Orihime-san had a brother, I made the assumption that this Hollow could very well be her brother in Hollow form…and if that's the case…then Orihime-san _will_ be eaten…"

Ichigo put on a burst of speed at that declaration. He'd be damned if he'd allow that! He arrived at Orihime's apartment, tore open the window…and was met with a horrifying sight:

A serpentine, crimson Hollow with dark hair and ripped arms…

A wheezing Tatsuki, her shoulder bleeding as she lay crushed by the Hollow's tail…

A gasping Orihime, strangled in the claws of the Hollow…

And the still-living body of the girl lying on the ground, a golden chain connecting to her spirit…

Ichigo and Soifon were stunned as the creature turned to look at them, a guttural hiss emanating from its mask, **"Kurosaki…Ichigo…"**

The black-haired girl slid from Ichigo's back as the Substitute Shinigami gripped his sword hilt, but they both froze as the two girls in peril cried out from increased pressure. The Hollow glared at the two, **"Ah ah ah…not so fast Kurosaki Ichigo…wouldn't want to cause their deaths, would you?"**

"Bastard…" The orange-haired teen growled, trying to analyze the situation; it was a FUBAR scenario if he ever saw one. No matter how he did this, he'd run the risk of one of his friends suffering severe, maybe even lethal harm. He didn't have the calm required to use a kidou in this situation with the incantation, so that was out of the question. Tatsuki and Orihime were too distant from each other for Ichigo to grab both of them...damn this was a fucking mess!

"…**she used to pray for me…"**

Ichigo raised one eyebrow at that statement. So it was true…he glimpsed at Soifon, and she nodded in affirmative. Ichigo tensed his knees as he tried to inch forward, "Inoue Sora?"

"**How interesting…you remember my name…you're all she talks about, you know…you and that girl right there…"** the gorgon-esque Hollow slithered its lower body, sliding across Tatsuki's prone form, keeping her pinned without adding more stress. Ichigo went rigid at the small movement, desperately wanting to slice through the snake tail and free his childhood friend. However, he had to keep focus, otherwise someone was going to get severely hurt.

"**Her prayers used to ease my suffering…even though I was dead, her sorrowful prayers to me filled me with happiness…I was content enough to watch over her from afar…"** Hollow-Sora turned to his sister's soul, still trapped in his clutches, **"It all changed when she met **_**that girl**_** in middle school…"** Anger seemed to be radiating off his form as he spoke, **"Her prayer's came less often…she was happy when she prayed to me, always talking about that Arisawa Tatsuki…I couldn't stand it…"**

The serpentine Hollow turned its head to Ichigo and the teen could swear he felt the cold grip on murderous intent on his throat. He swallowed once, trying to quell his fear over the situation.

"**And then she met you, Kurosaki Ichigo…it was as if you had become her whole world…she would **_**smile**_** as she talked about you to me…she stopped praying all together and just kept. Talking. About. YOU!"** At this the Hollow roared, and opened his mouth to spew acid at the Substitute Shinigami. Reacting quickly, Ichigo unfurled his Zanpaku-tou and caught the viscous liquid on the flat of his blade, careful to keep the caustic substance from touching his body. He could dully feel the reishi devouring acid trying to burn through his sword, but he pulsed some of his reiatsu, reinforcing the weapon.

Hollow-Sora glared from beneath its mask at the orange-haired teen, **"I hated you, Kurosaki Ichigo…for taking my sister away from me…so I decided…I would take **_**her**_** away from **_**you**_**!"**

At that, Ichigo bristled in fury, "What the fuck, man! You think that you have some right to decide what she should and shouldn't do? Why? Because you're her older brother? Are you fucking insane!"

Hollow-Sora sneered at Ichigo, **"What can you possibly know? I took Orihime from our abusive parents when she was an infant; I was a teenager. I'm not just her older brother, I'm her FATHER! AND YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO LECTURE ME, KUROSAKI ICHIGO!"**

"…no right, huh?" Ichigo was shaking in rage at the audacity of this moronic bastard, "Let me tell you something, asshole. Older brothers…the reason they're born first?" A memory of holding his two little sisters hands days after their birth came to him, "So they can protect the little ones that come after." He pointed his Zanpaku-tou at the monster, "WHAT KIND OF OLDER BROTHER SAYS HE'LL KILL HIS LITTLE SISTER TO JUSTIFY HIS GRIEF AND ANGER? EVEN A MONSTER WOULDN'T DO THAT!"

Soifon found herself awed by this confrontation, these two elder brothers from opposite ends of the conflict: one a Shinigami, one a Hollow…and both so absolutely sure that they are in the right that only one of them will survive this encounter…

Hollow-Sora's entire body was vibrating in rage, his red eyes glowing from the pits of his mask, his corrosive reiatsu leaking malice, **"Damn you Kurosaki Ichigo…"** The beast then lifted its tail above Tatsuki and brought it down to smash the girl into oblivion. The scaled appendage was caught by a Zanpaku-tou blade as Ichigo intercepted the attack. Soifon dived forward, taking the other black-haired girl with her to escape from the Hollow's range. As Ichigo was about to counter, he then saw the unthinkable.

The brother that had become a grief-and-anger stricken monster had bit down on his little sister's soul, snapping the golden chain at its base. The Substitute Shinigami watched in mute horror as the reishi body of Inoue Orihime disintegrated from existence, her mortal body now grey and still.

Inoue Orihime was eaten by her brother Inoue Sora.

…failed…

He had failed…

He had failed to save her…

"Ichigo!"

The shell-shocked boy snapped to as a tail smashed into his body sending him into the kitchen. He crashed into the wall, plaster and asbestos showering him as he stood up. He subconsciously dodged a duo of acid sprays as he surged forward, righteous fury consuming him.

'_That…that…THAT **BASTARD!'**_

With a single swipe, Ichigo removed the two hands reaching out to slash at him, blood spewing forth from the wrists. He then proceeded to thrust his cleaver blade in rapid motions, piercing areas of the Hollow's humanoid torso, sending blood everywhere. When the open maw came crashing down to consume _him_, he sent a punch so hard into its face that it cracked part of the mask and sent the beast flying.

Panting in exertion, red ichor spilling from its wounds, and chips of its bone-mask breaking off, the Hollow that was Inoue Sora cast an exhausted look his punisher. Ichigo was radiating with rage, his eyes alight with fierce blue reiatsu. The Hollow was about to charge to his final death when the air seemed to…_change_…

At the other end of the apartment, opposite where Soifon was healing Tatsuki, reishi began to coalesce in a spiraling vortex, the core growing as it solidified. A pale, humanoid shape began to form as the reishi then started to transform into clothing, a dull white kimono that wrapped around the rapidly forming and decidedly _feminine_ body. Ichigo and Soifon saw, horrified, as the head gave shape to Orihime's face, her long, chestnut hair the only color of her palette. Finally, the remaining reishi formed a circlet around her head, before a white veil descended from the thin ringlet, covering her face but for the thin slit that showed a bit of her nose and lips.

Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Soifon was damn-near hyperventilating at the transformation she just witnessed. There was no way in all the circles of Hell that they could be _that_ unlucky, could they?

Ichigo, wetting his dry lips, croaked out, "In-Inoue?"

The Princess-Hollow gasped, it's voice watery but feminine as she seemed to _see_ Ichigo for the first time, **"I-…Ichigo-kun?"** The voice was frightened and shaky. Ichigo could not blame her.

All of a sudden, Hollow-Sora lunged forward, screaming, **"NO! EVEN AS A HOLLOW, I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO PICK HIM OVER ME, ORIHIME!"**

Something happened, then, as time seemed to slow for the Shinigami present. They would later swear that they had no idea what had happened, but that it was something wholly inexplicable. From beneath the wide, flowing sleeves emerged a pair of flower petals, deep red in color. As the serpentine Hollow of Inoue Sora flung itself at his Hollowfied sibling, the little flower petals seemed to glow, and then disappear.

No one ever saw the actual strike.

Hollow-Sora stopped screaming all at once, and split into two halves, one on either side of the newly formed Hollow-Orihime, before disintegrating into countless reishi. Inoue Sora had been purified. By a Hollow of the same blood, no less. The Princess-Hollow looked down at her sleeved hands as the flower petals returned to their place, beneath the white folds. She looked up at Ichigo and Soifon, her voice failing her.

"**Wha-? What-? What am…I…?"**

A sizzling sound drew the two Shinigami's attention back to the kitchen. There, in the wall, a gas line was melted by the acidic sludge from previously, and a trio of copper wires were beginning to spark as the acid ate away at their plastic coating.

…Hollow-Sora's last parting gift.

The explosion that followed was as surprisingly violent as it was anti-climactic. Ichigo had rushed to cover the two raven-haired females when he realized that something else had happened. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Hollow-Orihime containing the blast with a trio of twin flower petals, her rapid gasps telling him that she was struggling to contain the energy within. She turned her veiled face to look at him one last time.

"…**go…"**

Ichigo got out of there as the blast finally cleared and consumed the apartment, Soifon and Tatsuki in his arms. None of them were unscathed though; Ichigo was a mess, the majority of his shihakushou burned away and 2nd degree burns across his back and right arm; Tatsuki's shoulder was healed, but her arms and legs had a number of 1st and 2nd degree burns; Soifon was better off, with a mild case of sunburn on her face, and a single 1st degree burn on her left leg.

Tatsuki was unconscious as the two looked up at the raging inferno. Neither one of them could sense the reiatsu of the Hollow that was Inoue Orihime. Ichigo gave an agonized look to Soifon as they shared a revelation: how were they going to explain this?

* * *

Tatsuki awoke with a groan, her body screaming at her. She grimaced as she tried to assess her injuries…and figure out _why_ she was injured in the first place. Her memories were groggy…the spar that morning…spending the day with Orihime…joking about Ichigo…the fire…!

"FIRE?"

Tatsuki sat up with a scream, adrenaline pumping through her. Thankfully that adrenaline kept her from feeling the full extent of her injuries as she nearly cried out in pain. Her arms were coated in bandages and she could feel her arms burning despite the balm beneath the wrappings. Wincing, she turned to see Ichigo sitting in a seat beside her bed. They were in the Kurosaki Clinic.

"Tatsuki." He greeted, his grim face set in stone. His entire torso was covered with bandages, and a burn patch was placed over his right bicep and shoulder. He looked haggard.

The black-haired girl spun around to see if Orihime was in the bed opposite her…only to find a made, _empty_ bed besides hers'. Slowly, she turned back to her oldest friend, not liking the look in his eyes.

"Ichigo…where is Orihime?"

She wanted to be wrong. Gods above, she wanted so desperately to be _wrong_!

Ichigo only shook his head at her.

…she was right…

Tears, the likes of which she had not shed since she was nine years old, came unbidden to her eyes. She sobbed, her body wracked with grief as she came to terms with the truth:

Orihime…was dead…

She brought her bandaged hands to her face, embracing the pain as it added to her cries, wailing in agony and bitterness. She felt firm, callused hands grip her shoulders as Ichigo pulled her into a gentle hug. There she cried into his chest, her loud wails muffled as she clenched her fists against his torso.

Orihime was dead.

Down at the mortuary, Kurosaki Isshin had the worst responsibility any parent, regardless of their relationship to the victim, should endure: recognizing the corpse of a dead child. It was difficult, as the body was badly burned, but the hair clips had somehow endured. It was Inoue Orihime all right.

Isshin rubbed his face tiredly, having been talking with the authorities all night. His son had been at the scene and had saved Tatsuki, at the cost of his numerous wounds, but the police had been adamant about questioning him. Stupid flunkies. Isshin accepted a clipboard from the coroner, the paper work mocking him with its sterile perfection. Underneath _Time of Death_, Isshin wrote with a groan, the irony not lost on him.

'12:00 AM. June 16.'

* * *

Eothr: _1~, 2~, Plot twist for you~, 3~, 4~, Review for more~_

YE: *shudder* Damn, you are creepy.

Rhea: You have no room to talk, mister.

Eothr: Okay, a few things to go over before I answer reviews…

(1) A big chocolate-chip-digital-cookie for those who tell me in their reviews where this quote is from.

(2) A thin-mint-digital-cookie for those who guess the movie (not really hard, it was horrible, really)

(3) A peanut-butter-digital-cookie for those who get the reference

YE: I'm betting that most reviewers won't get them, especially number 1!

Eothr: …really…

YE: *sweatdrop* Yeah, dumbass!

Eothr: Okay…just how young do you think a reviewer needs to be to know that quote?

YE: Heh. They can't have been born after 1995!

Eothr: …okay. Readers, Yami Eothr has issued a bet. If you can guess the quote from (1) _without_ looking it up, put it in a review along with your year of birth (a '88, or '94 will do) and we'll see what happens when he winds up being totally wrong.

YE: Oi!

Rhea: *snicker*

Eothr: Poll is still up, so keep on voting. Now for reviews.

**JoetheGrim** (Yeah, I've noticed an increase in these type stories; I've read your story on my iPhone, but I just haven't gotten around to reviewing it, I'll get to it soon); **Fangking2** (I've got some ideas about that but let's see where we go from here, shall we ;) ; no more teasing, here's the official chapter 3!); **thisisCMpunk** (Here you go, my man! A fresh update for you! ); **Sammiileeo** (Thank you again for your kindness, check out the new chapter!); **dalulzing** (hear! :P); **Nexus the 13****th** (-_-* You're opinion has be noted…); **potterfanforever** (Ara ara, the Japanese it what makes anime good! Mugyuu… Some of those ideas are forming here and will present themselves over time, please look forward to it!); **Zarlann** (Thank you! Here ya go!); **music watch** (Well, this chapter right here gives an example of why power alone isn't enough, so please enjoy! Ichigo and Soifon's relationship will form quickly, but as you will see in this chapter, it is still largely physical over emotional, and will remain so throughout most of the Substitute Shinigami arc. Please look forward to when the actually do develop "love" for each other!); **BleachBoy95** (Here is said 3rd chapter, please enjoy! ); **GreatStarOcean** (Agreed, I think Soifon gets the shaft for most of the series, and I really enjoy the similarities between her and Ichigo, it's just ripe for story ideas! Please enjoy this chapter!); **mind liger** (Thank you for your support, and I'm grateful for a fellow "non-yuri-YoruSoi" follower. The sister role is going to be very vital later in my story, please look forward to it!); **d(period)greynight** (My apologies that it did not live up to your expectations, perhaps once a couple more chapters are posted you will give it another chance…); **ArtanisRose** (Thank you for your kind words, I hope I can continue to live up to your expectations!); **Antoinette Castellen** (Thank you for your support! Here is the official Chapter 3, MOVING FATE ANEW FORWARD! Lol; glad you like it, please look forward to more of it!); **batla** (Sorry for the wait, here's the update!); **alchemists19** (No need to wait any longer! Here is the update!); **zecross** (he he he he…how do ya like me now? :), Please look forward to when I reveal Chad and Ishida!); **Abismilard** (Ah haha…you might be surprised…*sweatdrop*, anyway, thank you for the review, and please look forward to more!); **cmcwiki** (Thank you for your support, *-Comment Redacted-*…); **Shark Spartan** (Thank you for the reviews! Believe it or not this chapter is even LONGER (by about 1000 words…*sweatdrop*), as I'm finding it harder to condense my stories to more manageable lengths…; Thank you for the support, please look forward to this chapter!); **Fiori75** (Thank you so much for your kind words, I am truly touched. As far as the characters go, it can be difficult to get the feel for them, especially if you try to write them in a part of the story that doesn't originate in the canon (i.e. Soifon *sweatdrop*), still, I'm trying my hardest. Hope you like the newest update!); **solitus** (Thank you for the support! I agree, the Love at First Sight style is what actually drove me away from the Naruto fanfiction, but occasionally I find good ones. I fully acknowledge that Soifon is OOC, and have stated so in the disclaimer.); **Platinumsabr** (Thanks for the review! Yeah, you know how it is, life can sometimes just send all your motivation down the crapper. 2011 was just an absolutely terrible year for me, as noted by the fact that I didn't publish a single new story, which I had done at least once each year since _Nekohime Matchmaker_. I respect your comments on the English-to-Japanese ratio and have included a statement on that along with a compromise. Hopefully the change is noticeable and acceptable *sweatdrop*. Thank you again for the support, and please look forward to more of _Fate Anew_!); **blackout2010** (WAI WAAAI! Thank you for your enthusiasm and your support! As I've said before, I _love_ your story _Bleach: The Alternate Tale_ and I'll get around to reviewing the latest chapter soon, T-T. Please look forward to this and future chapters!); **Orchamus** (Thank you for your kind words and support! Hopefully you will enjoy the new amounts of tsundere from multiple characters! Lol, thanks again and please look forward to it!)

Eothr: Thank you again, everyone, for all your support and reviews! It's great to be back (again! T-T)!

Rhea: We love you, readers! ^-^

YE: Read and review…-_-


	4. Upon the Precipice Part 1

Hello again, Readers. My apologies for the late update, however I must emphasize that this one is only a little over 4 months after the last one, which is another improvement on my updating speed. Nonetheless, I am grateful for the overwhelming response to my last chapter and its controversial contents; I only hope I can continue to surprise and entertain you all. Admittedly, I've been remiss. I keep losing track of how and where I want this story to go; on one hand, I want to show an "altered" canon and follow the storyline with the changes I've enacted, and on the other hand, I simply feel "Fuck Canon" and want to alter _everything_. So, we'll see, as things develop… I _can_ however, guarantee even more controversial decisions in this story.

As an aside, I've been reading various stories and watching different shows, trying to get back my motivation and find some inspiration for this because, quite frankly, last chapter left me with a roadblock after I blatantly shot the plot-hook in the face, wrapped it in steel chains, and dumped it into a torrential river. Believe it or not, a new source of motivation has been from the _Pokemon_ section of this site; I know, surprising to me as well, but I think, when you love something, no matter how much it changes or time passes, you remember that love you had for it. For me, that's Pokemon. I loved the games as a kid and was very amused by the animated series (it's a bit of a stretch calling it an actual anime, at this point in the franchise), so exploring the fanfiction available for it had me waxing nostalgia as I remembered my own enjoyable experiences with the first RPG I ever played. Don't ever put down something you once enjoyed just because it's changed; recognize its faults and lament any failings, sure, but _never_ put it down entirely. After all, if the story isn't going where you want it to, there's always fanfiction.

Replies to reviews will be at the end of the chapter.

**Disclaimer**: Characters and themes of _Bleach _are the property of Tite Kubo. My soul and ideas belong to my Muse, Rhea'Onna vas Ninpou nar Tsuchi. Rated M for violence, language, and sexual content. Alternate Universe with OOC Soifon.

**New Disclaimer**: In my search for inspiration, I came across a gem of a story titled _The Final Step to the Master Reloaded_ by Author MysticMew. A number of chapters into the story, MysticMew began writing in his own opening theme, using another anime's intro music and his own story's development to create a unique flavor for his story. This disclaimer is to give him credit for inspiring me to do the same. Yes, it's a bit awkward to introduce it at this point, but it greatly appeals to me as an Author. Indulge me, please.

Codex:

"Talking" - Character speech

"_Konnichiwa_" - Character speech in Japanese outside of names and attacks

'_Thinking'_ –Character thought

"**Talking**" - Hollow speech

"_Zanpaku-tou Talking"_ – Specifically used for speech by Zanpaku-tou spirits

"_If I were rain, That joins sky and earth that otherwise never touch, Could I join two hearts as well? – Tite Kubo_

It rained that day…

Much like _that_ day six years ago…the sky seemed to be crying in agony. Back then, it was an omen…but this time…

The rain fell hard, from before first light and well into the morning…it did not look like it would stop that day…or the next…there was no thunder, no flashes of lightning…this wasn't a storm, filled with rage…this was the tears of the world, roaring in silence…

It rained that day…much like _that_ day six years ago…that was the day…when he swore he would protect them…

…the rain fell hard…

* * *

Opening Theme (Aozora no Namida, Blood(plus))

An expanse of dark, gray clouds slowly roll across the sky. Rain falls as the screen pans down to view Karakura Town, blurred by the drenching water.

_Hitori kiri kurayami no naka_

_Kimi no namida no imi o shitta_

The camera zooms quickly to a drenched Ichigo, his head bowed. He raises his head, and his brown eyes flash bright blue.

_Negau basho fumidashita kedo_

_Dare mo kizutsuketaku nakute_

Numerous Hollows surround Ichigo in his Shinigami uniform and Soifon in her school uniform. The screen circles as Ichigo slashes several times with Zangetsu and Soifon fires several kidou blasts. Blood splatters across the screen as they tense for the counterattack.

_Umi o wataru kaze wa kyou mo_

_Mayowazu ni ashita ni mukau no ni_

_Kokoro wa doushite ugoki dasenai_

The screen shifts to a chipped vase holding a small bouquet of white daisies, droplets of rain falling off the petals. A small, red dragonfly lands on one of the flowers, tilting it with its weight. The screen then flashes four scenes, showing Tatsuki facing left looking sad, then Yuzu and Karin looking at the camera in concern, then Isshin facing right with a stern expression, then the back of a shadowed man wearing a black haori holding a distinct hat over his blonde hair.

_Donna unmei ga matte irun darou_

_Kuyamitakunai yo umareta koto_

Ichigo and Soifon are standing on a bridge, looking out over the river below in the sunset. They both look at each other, blushing lightly. Ichigo is about to say something when a crash behind them alerts them both to a new group of Hollows.

_Kanashimi no naka ni yuuki ga aru_

_Kagayaki tsukamu to shinjiteiru_

Soifon dons her glove before pushing Ichigo out of his living body. Shinigami-Ichigo then rushes the Hollows with a determined expression, drawing his sword. The scene blackens with three curved, white slash marks flashing, then we see Ichigo again, Zangetsu held outstretched, and the Hollows behind him bisected and dissolving.

_Furishikiru aozora no NAMIDA_

_Itsu no ki ka egao ni kaeru yo_

The scene fades to raining clouds, before the camera pans down to a graveyard. Sitting on one of the headstones is a still Ichigo in his Shinigami state, a pool of blood at the base of the stone with raindrops splashing in the crimson puddle, before fading to black.

* * *

Chapter 4: Upon the Precipice Part 1: Bloody Memories

Tatsuki cried herself to sleep. It had taken a few hours, long enough for Isshin to return home from the morgue. He then got in touch with the worried Arisawas, informing them to come to the Clinic. Ichigo forced himself to endure more tears as Tatsuki's parents thanked him profusely for saving their daughter.

A sickened Ichigo stared pitifully into the steely gaze of Mr. Arisawa as he gripped the teen's shoulders, "Listen to me, son. What happened was terrible, but if it hadn't been for you, we'd be mourning for my daughter as well. You can't save everyone, Ichigo."

…can't save everyone…as if _that_ wasn't obvious…

With some difficulty, the sleeping girl was eased into a wheel chair and helped out to the family vehicle. Ichigo kept an umbrella hovered over her and her mother, shielding them from the rain, while the heavy torrent soaked his clothing quickly; the sting of his wounds as water seeped into his bandages was a welcome pain. He didn't even use it for himself as the Arisawas drove off into the dark morning, the tool forgotten at his side. He gazed upwards to the heavens, brown eyes dull with fatigue and guilt.

Once he returned indoors, he silently moved past his sisters, both staring at him; he did not meet their frightened and worried eyes. He glanced at his equally silent father, offering no more than a nod, and trudged upstairs. A sigh of weariness escaped the black-haired man. This really couldn't have been a worse situation…

Ichigo entered his room, his soaking clothes wetting the floor with each step. He plopped onto his desk chair heavily, the wet fabric that clung to his skin sloshing noisily. Bringing his hands to his stony face, resting his elbows on the wooden furniture, he let out a deep breath. Gods, he was tired…

Behind him stood Soifon, a concerned and surprisingly soft look on her face. She raised a hand, about to touch his shoulder, but stopped herself; what could she say, given the situation? What could she possibly tell him that will get him to move on and accept the cold hard facts; that these things happen, and the only way to absolve from them is to use the experience to avoid it in the future?

At least…that's what her training was telling her to do. The part of her, the _whole_ of her, really, that was urging her to remain the commander, to force her underling to soldier through…but there was the smallest part of her conscience, a fragment long-thought buried by grief and anger, that was urging her to do something utterly foreign to her: be compassionate.

She couldn't bring herself to make either decision; such indecisiveness hadn't been a problem for her since she was a child. It was disturbing to her how much had changed so rapidly. And all because of the young man in front of her…

His sudden movement startled her into retracting her hand. He looked over at her and mumbled, "I'm going to get changed…" His voice was hoarse and thin, not like his usual self. The raven-haired girl could only nod in confirmation. He moved to get fresh clothes, walking past her without another word. She remained rooted to the spot, pondering his complete change of attitude.

* * *

One could cut the very air with a knife as the family sat at the table for breakfast; the tense, sorrowful atmosphere was just that oppressive. They weren't really eating, either, but were instead watching the news as the camera zoomed in and out of the burnt out apartment.

"…_and so, after all the most recent accidents, and complaints to the officials, the worst has finally happened. At around 11:50 p.m. to Midnight this morning, a gas line was sparked in this apartment complex, where 15-year-old Inoue Orihime of Karakura High School lost her life. Investigators tried to question eyewitnesses to the blaze, but they were deemed to be in critical condition and rushed to the local Karakura Clinic. No word on their current condition. Fear has settled into the local populace as-"_

The television was turned off by Isshin, who for once was not actively trying to roughhouse with his son, or praise his daughters. He looked at his family and sighed. Karin was pale, looking more scared than she had been in years. Her sister was no better, her eyes red and puffy as tears trickled down her cheeks. She hiccupped and tried to wipe the moisture from her face, to little avail. But the worst was his son; Ichigo looked haggard, his face nearly gaunt as guilt and self-loathing seemed to be settling in.

The elder Kurosaki donned his black jacket and gestured for his children to pay attention, "I need to arrange for the funeral, so I'll be back by evening. Don't leave the house." His voice brokered no argument, and his daughters nodded in confirmation. The black-haired patriarch looked at his son, hoping for a response; but the orange-haired youth stiffly rose from his seat and returned upstairs. Isshin heaved another sigh before walking out, leaving Yuzu and Karin at the table, still laden with untouched breakfast.

It wasn't even an hour after their father had left that a trio of news vans screeched to a halt in front of the clinic. Karin bolted to the main entrance, shocked and angry at the audacity these people had, when a thumping sound forced her to turn to the stairs. Her brother was bounding down, his scowl furious as he reached for the doors, locking them. The cameras were almost at the glass-paned entrance, when Ichigo bolted, grabbing Karin and ushering her into the kitchen, where they and Yuzu waited.

The Kurosaki children flinched as insistent knocking could be heard, the reporters scrambling to see the survivors of that morning's incident. Ichigo growled as he clenched the back of his chair, wanting nothing more than to beat them senseless, injuries and all. His sisters were on either side of him, trying to console him and comfort themselves.

"Those jerks…don't they have any shame?" the black-haired girl muttered, eyes darting between Ichigo and the entrance. She was worried about him. He wasn't responding well to any interaction and it scared her how personal he was taking what happened; and it was upsetting _her_ as well, given what was to be expected tomorrow…

A sudden, loud boom spooked all of the Kurosakis, and they became aware of a string of coughing and shouts from outside. Peering out from the kitchen, they were surprised to see the front of the clinic covered in billowing, grey smoke. The assaulted news reporters fled, and Ichigo began to suspect what happened. Together, they watched the vans drive away, the smoke dispersing in the rain, and the Kurosakis were left in peace.

Yuzu looked up at her brother, holding his arm tightly, "Onii-chan? What happened?" And Ichigo looked at her and patted her head, "A guardian angel, Yuzu." The twins looked strangely at their brother, confused by such a statement. The orange-haired teen tensed as his burns flared and he steeled himself again, "Never mind. You two clean up the kitchen, I have to redress my bandages." Karin and Yuzu nodded and moved into the kitchen, light chatter passing between them. Ichigo grimaced as he moved, grabbing a fresh roll of clean wraps, gauze, and balm.

Once up the stairs, the teen made a brief detour to the linen closet and grabbed another pair of dry towels. If he was correct, he knew what they were going to be used for. Knocking at his door twice, he entered the room, and what he saw there confirmed his suspicion; Soifon was sitting at his desk chair, wringing out water from her hair. Her shirt and jeans too were wet, and plenty of puddles were around his floor from the bed to his desk. Softly, he approached her and held out the towels, to her surprise. Looking up to his face, her cheeks warmed at the gratitude in his gaze.

"Thank you." His deep voice sent a tremor through her body, and more heat spread from her face to her toes. She grabbed the towel and buried her face into the fabric, desperate to hide away her embarrassment. By the gods, she was acting like a love-struck teenager! She let out a small groan, and looked up to see her companion removing his shirt, the wrappings on his torso dirty. Her immediate embarrassment subsided as reality set in; and she _still_ didn't know what to say to him.

Thankfully, she didn't have to, "What did you do, anyway; some kind of kidou?" Ichigo gently undid the bandage at his shoulder as he faced a mirror. He noticed Soifon, in the mirror, drying herself off, and taking a moment to respond. Once her hair and face were moisture free, she moved to her arms, "It was a specialty of my division: a condensed sphere of low-energy powder with a pressure sensitive spark. For lack of a better term, it was a smoke bomb made using my reiatsu."

A gasp of pain stopped her next words; Ichigo had brushed against a particularly bad wound, and was wincing as his back throbbed. Soifon moved to his side, gently grasping the wraps from his fingers. She mildly regretted the smoke bomb now, as it robbed her of vital reiatsu that could go towards helping her charge. With a gentleness that surprised them both, Soifon carefully removed the bandages and gauze beneath, wincing as the charred, blistered skin was exposed. Disposing of the ruined cloths, Soifon attempted to apply a small amount of balm to his shoulder; she jumped as he snapped his fist forward, pressing it against the wall and groaning in pain.

"Sorry."

The raven-haired girl started at that. He was apologizing? Even though _she_ had caused him that pain? Shaking her head, the young woman returned to the task, adjusting her hands each time the teen's body twitched. Once she had finished, and after cleaning her hands on the spare towel, she pressed the gauze across his back; Ichigo forced himself still, clenching his jaw as he endured the stinging sensation. Once she had applied the sterile cloths to his back and arm, she began wrapping the white bandages around his torso, reaching around and encircling his abdomen and pectorals. The close proximity to the young man's body was starting to get to Soifon, her cheeks warming every time her fingertips brushed against bare skin; and it frustrated her.

For over a hundred years, Soifon had trained diligently to reduce all emotions, isolated herself to ensure that she would never again suffer a betrayal. She had become a hardened tool, a weapon for the Soul Society to wield; and she was _proud_ of that feat. So why? Why was it that this man, a human teenager, very nearly a child in comparison to her, could elicit such feelings of affection or arousal from her, when she had all but eliminated such emotions?

Soifon looked up at his face, expecting amber-brown orbs that burned with defiance and determination, but was startled to see Ichigo's dead eyes gazing blankly. It made her realize that he still wasn't acting himself. Taking her eyes from his, she focused on fastening the wraps at his waist. The black-haired girl was mentally scrambling for something to say, anything to ease the awkward tension. "Are…you okay…?" Well, it was a start.

Ichigo turned his head away, eyes downcast, "I'll live."

…okay, that didn't work. The young woman flushed and took a deep breath, deciding to just wing it, "Then, do you want to talk about last night?" There it was; that wince of memories revisited. The slack expression on Ichigo's face tightened into a pained scowl, and his eyes flashed with repressed anger…and guilt? "What's to talk about? I failed…I failed to save her; failed to protect someone…again…"

'…_again?'_ Soifon looked at him oddly as he turned to grab a shirt out of his dresser. "What do you mean by 'again'?" she asked, curious and concerned. When he didn't respond, she moved to his side and placed her hand on his left arm, halting his movement. "Ichigo?"

The youth shut his eyes, desperate to avoid her piercing, onyx gaze. He didn't want to deal with this…not when the context of the previous night was so closely connected to tomorrow's significance. Breathing a heavy sigh, he sat in his chair and looked down at the desk, aware of the girl watching his every move, "…I failed to save my mother from dying…six years ago tomorrow…"

* * *

(_Flashback, 6 years ago_)

_A torrent of rain cascaded upon the district of Karakura-cho. A young mother and her small child walked hand-in-hand beneath the cover of a white umbrella. The woman wore a peach-colored blouse and a long skirt, while the small one beside her wore a bright yellow rain jacket. A sudden roar and flash of headlights disrupted their leisurely stroll, as a truck sped by and splashed the poor kid with run-off._

"_Aw, man!" The young boy's voice rang out as his hood slipped back, revealing fiery-orange hair and bright, brown eyes. Nine-year old Kurosaki Ichigo slumped in defeat as he felt his clothes get soaked. The taller woman beside him knelt down and brought a handkerchief to his face._

"_Aww, that mean old truck. Here, Ichigo, let Kaa-chan walk next to the road, okay?" The warm, gentle voice of Kurosaki Masaki radiated with kindness, and it immediately made the young boy feel better. Her light, chocolate-brown orbs were alight with motherly concern and mirth as she regarded her only son. The boy fidgeted under his mother's care as she tried to dry his forehead and cheeks, "That's alright, Kaa-san. My rain jacket keeps me dry. I'll protect you."_

_I'll protect you. Such a declaration warmed Masaki's heart as she grinned a little mischievously, "I don't think I can be protected by a guardian who can't beat Tatsuki-chan in karate even once." She giggled, covering the boy's face in a last effort to dry the remaining water, garbling his response. She pulled away the cloth, eyes crinkled with her smile, "All better!"_

_Free of Masaki's ministrations, the young child let out an indignant cry, "I won the other day!" A heavenly laugh from his mother's lips subdued Ichigo of his brief irritation, looking up at the woman with awe, "Come on, Ichigo. Let's go home."_

"…_Kaa-san?"_

"_Hm?"_

"_Hold my hand."_

"_Okay!"_

(_Flashback end_)

* * *

"I loved my mother. She was kind and beautiful. I never once saw her cry or yell. Kids are affected by their parents' moods and…I think my Mom knew that. She always smiled, always laughed. She was the center of my universe." Ichigo sighed, running his hand over his face as the memory receded. He was never very good about these kinds of things. "It wasn't just me. Yuzu and Karin, who were 4 at the time and Dad too; we all loved her very much. She was our whole world, the center of our lives."

Soifon stood rigid as she bore witness to the young man's open-hearted story. Aspects of her training picked up on the inflection and tone of his words, gauging the strong emotions she felt from his voice. Silently, she began to put together the pieces of the puzzle that was Kurosaki Ichigo.

"My father told me that my name means 'one who protects'. And I remember thinking, 'I want to protect my mother'. Then, when the twins were born, I wanted to protect them too. I started going to a dojo to learn karate…and as I got stronger, I wanted to protect more and more people…"

Ichigo slowly stood, placing his hands flat against the desk; head bowed, the teen let out a shuddering sigh, "I've seen the dead for as long as I can remember… I saw them as clearly as I could see the living…and back then…I couldn't tell the difference…"

* * *

(_Flashback, 6 years ago_)

_Ichigo looked up towards the river. What he saw gave him pause; a dark haired girl, wearing a poncho without a hood, staring out at the raging river. The waters were surging along the bank, fueled by days of heavy rainfall. The girl was looking up and down the riverbank, a blank look on her pale face. Young Ichigo tensed, before making a choice. He squeezed his mother's hand once, before leaping over the rail guard at the top of the incline, "I'll be right back, Kaa-san." _

_Startled into shock, Masaki watched, horrified, as her beloved son raced towards the torrential waters. She saw the look on his face, the determination in his eyes. But she saw what her son didn't. And so, Kurosaki Masaki responded, out of the purest love, to protect her child._

"_ICHIGO!"_

…

…

"…_ugh…huh?" Ichigo opened his eyes slowly, a heavy weight on his chest and rain soaking his face. Groggily, the boy lifted his head…and felt his heart stop. Atop him was the body of his mother, her strawberry-blonde hair splayed and blood seeping out of her back. With shaking hands, the orange-haired boy reached out to touch his mother's cold face, her eyes dark._

"…_Kaa-chan…?"_

(_Flashback end_)

* * *

"…I don't know what cut her…I don't know how it happened…the girl was gone…a ghost that didn't need protecting..." Ichigo shuddered as his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. He could feel his eyes tearing, the memories filling him with pain. He sat down again, heavily, and held his head in his hands, "…I loved my mother…and not just me…Karin and Yuzu…and Dad too…she was the center of our universe…and I couldn't protect her…I couldn't save my mother…from me…"

...a mirror; Soifon was looking into a mirror…

Stunned didn't even come close to describing the sate the raven-haired woman found herself. Of all the possibilities that could have been the cause for her partner's recent behavior, nothing prepared Soifon for what she just heard…nor how close his story hit to home…

The girl opened her mouth to say something, but no words formed; she reached out her hand to touch his shoulder, to comfort him, but her hand stopped short. Confused, saddened, and humbled, she brought her hand back, looking away. Suddenly, Ichigo's reluctance to help a strange ghost made much more sense.

"Ichi-nii!"

Soifon jumped, startled by the sudden shout from downstairs by one of Ichigo's sisters. As the teen left the room to investigate, she pressed her hand against her chest, feeling her rapidly beating heart. What was happening to her? It was as if all of her training was for nothing; strongly felt emotions, concern for underlings, and reflexive reactions to simple interruptions…and the growing change in her perception and feelings toward Kurosaki Ichigo…

* * *

As the orange-haired teen trudged downstairs, he passed by a worried Yuzu. Looking questioningly at her, the girl pointed him towards the clinic phone, where Karin was talking to someone; she seemed very agitated. Ichigo approached his ebon-haired sister, who passed him the phone, "It's the police, Ichi-nii; something about a 'friend' of yours."

Quirking an eyebrow, the young man pressed the receiver to his ear, "This is Kurosaki Ichigo. Who am I speaking to?"

"_Kurosaki-san? We have a young man in our office who requested we contact you. Does the name Sado Yasutora ring any bells?" _The crisp, authoritarian voice cut through like a blade; Ichigo tensed as the mention of his giant classmate. "Yeah, he's a friend and classmate from my school; dark brown skin, shaggy hair, and taller than most men?"

The voice came again, an edge of humor to it, _"On the money. We rescued Sado-san from a group of thugs that had kidnapped him; he's been treated for injuries by our department medics, and was then allowed to contact his family. Before resting, he asked us to contact you and to request that you come to the department. Stay dry."_ Ichigo swore he could hear the voice become downright sardonic as the cop on the other end hung up.

Staring at the phone, the orange-haired youth placed the receiver back on the cradle. A wave of guilt washed over him as his thoughts turned to the Hispanic teenager, _'I forgot about him; literally. Everything's been so hellish lately that I didn't even notice he wasn't at school that day…' _

Ichigo turned to his sisters, both standing together and looking at him inquisitively, "I need to go. Stay home and wait for Oyaji to get back, but I should be back before him. Don't unlock the doors until you know it's me or the goat." The teen strode upstairs, leaving the twins to give each other worried looks. Up the steps, the berry-head stopped at his door. Once more, he gently knocked to alert the woman within, and entered. Soifon was standing near his bed, arms crossed over her stomach; she looked pensive as he moved about the room, grabbing a heavy, gray rain jacket and umbrella.

"I need to leave for a bit. If anything comes up…please be careful…" It was less of a plea and more of a direct order; under any other circumstances, the raven-haired girl would have lashed out at such disrespect towards a superior. But this wasn't the case; she knew, through observation, that she was the outsider in this situation. Her lips pressed thin, Soifon nodded at Ichigo, matching his hard-edged gaze with her own steely eyes. At least, they understood one another.

The orange-haired teen moved out, shrugging on the jacket as he closed his bedroom door behind him. He moved through the clinic, waving goodbye to Karin and Yuzu as they sat in the living room watching television. Ichigo then exited the clinic, locking the doors behind him, and opened his umbrella to the deluge. He stiffened for a moment as the rain assaulted his senses, then shook his head; he had to get it together to help Chad. Clutching his coat closer and huddled under his umbrella, the young man hurried through the rain to the police department.

* * *

It took about an hour of miserable travel, but Ichigo finally reached the building for the police of Karakura-cho. He had managed to keep his clothes dry, but his hair was drenched, despite the umbrella. The teen shook his head, sending water everywhere in the foyer of the precinct. The receptionist, a middle-aged woman with graying-brunette hair, gave him a dispassionate once-over before beckoning him to the desk, "Can I help you?"

The orange-haired young man bit back a sigh, aware this woman was already judging him; her clipped tone was already grating on his nerves. "I'm Kurosaki Ichigo. I was told that Sado Yasutora was here?" Damn his voice was hoarse.

The woman actually seemed to take interest at this, turning to a filing cabinet, and began sifting through the folders. After a moment, she pulled out a manila envelope and undid the opening; looking over the file, she looked up at Ichigo with something akin to remorse, "Yes, Sado-san is indeed in the medic's ward. He's just down the hall there, third door on the left." She said, pointing to the door on Ichigo's right. The teen nodded and moved to the door, where a uniformed officer patted him down. Confirmed to be clean, Ichigo was admitted through the door and walked down the hall to the medical office. He opened the door and was greeted to a terrifying sight: his giant friend was lying on a patient bed unconscious, wrapped like a mummy with bandages.

Ichigo edged forward, disbelieving the state of his old friend. His heavy shuffling roused the sleeping man. The big guy turned his head to Ichigo, one dark, doleful eye visible between his bangs. "Ichigo?" He asked in his deep, rumbling voice. The orange-haired youth shook his head, stepping up to his Hispanic companion, "What the hell'd you get yourself into, Chad?"

The massive teenager chuckled softly, lifting up a wrapped hand and flexed his fingers, "Just got careless again. A new gang that wanted to be famous by taking me out; but they were sloppy. A concerned citizen called the police when they saw me being taken. Was with them for about 2 days, then the police raided their hideout. It didn't take long to bring them down."

Ichigo frowned at Chad's lackadaisical attitude about the whole thing. It must have been obvious, because the large youth's face eased into solemn contemplation. "Don't worry, Ichigo. It's only minor wounds; a few bruised ribs and a handful of strained ligaments. I'll be fine." He then turned to look at the ceiling, away from the other man's gaze, "I heard about Inoue."

There it was again; the overwhelming sense of grief and guilt, filling him up like a clogged drain. Ichigo's face hardened as he turned away, unable to face Chad, another friend he'd failed. He wasn't able to help them…he wasn't able to help anyone…

"It wasn't your fault."

The teen felt his heart stop as he turned to look at the giant, one eye burning with conviction, "Inoue's death. It wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself, Ichigo." He couldn't say anything to that; how could he? Shameful, Ichigo turned and prepared to leave, when Chad called for him again, "Let me know when the funeral is. I'll be there."

Without looking at him, Ichigo nodded, and walked out of the medic's ward. Releasing a shuddering sigh, he moved towards the foyer, passing by the receptionist, and left the building, out into the rain.

* * *

Within the confines of her companion's room, Soifon was left with naught to do but reflect on recent events. Having changed out of her wet clothes, she sat upon the mattress in fresh undergarments and a black t-shirt (on loan from Ichigo's dresser). The young woman held her knees against her chest, with her back against the wall; the heavy deluge against the roof was almost deafening, yet surprisingly soothing.

Ichigo's words plagued her mind; he lost his mother at such a young age…but he blamed himself…and he was still willing to bear such a burden. A sigh passed her lips, _'His personal strength is remarkable, but losing someone now might just push him over the edge…' _His mother…the center of his universe… The raven-haired girl rested her head against the wall, eyes cast upwards.

…center of the universe…

"…ichi-sama…"

Time passed, and the gigai-bound Shinigami reminisced about better times, until a rapping against the door alerted her to her partner. Ichigo entered the room, his face weary and his face dripping with water. Soifon watched him carefully as he dried his hair with the leftover towel from earlier, neither of them speaking. The teen then removed his shirt, gingerly avoiding his bandages, and joined her on the bed, closing his eyes in fatigue. The raven-haired female gently scooted beside him, resting a hand on his uninjured shoulder.

She eased him on his side, the two of them facing together on the bed. The silence between them was mutual; Soifon's a gesture of trust, and Ichigo's a sign of acknowledgement. They began breathing in tandem, a meditative exercise between student and teacher; the teen opened his eyes, staring into those charcoal orbs. "The funeral for Inoue is tomorrow," he rasped. Soifon nodded once, encouraging him to continue, "…it's going to be nearby my Mom's grave. We'll visit her after Inoue's burial in the morning…"

The young woman nodded again, before closing the distance between them, resting her hands on his torso, tucking her head under his chin. She felt him place his arm across her waist and pull her just a little closer. Whatever comfort she could offer him, in this time of grief. Their breathing slowed, and the rhythm eased both into a dreamless sleep. Tomorrow was going to be long day…

(_To be continued_)

* * *

Eothr: Ah crap, this was hard to do. And it's only half done. Haa…I need help…

Rhea: If anyone would be willing to Beta and Edit, send us a PM!

YE: *MRRF*

Eothr/Rhea: *sweatdrop*…

YE: *MMPF FFRR BLURG*

Eothr: …on another note…

In regards to the references from last chapter:

(1) "Poor unfortunate soul" was from Disney's _The Little Mermaid_, a song from Ursula the sea witch. I have _NO_ idea if such a quote is in _Nightmare on Elm Street_; I've never been man enough to watch one (I am a chicken-shit when it comes to horror movies). Kudos to Velshard & Guest for getting this. Honorable mentions to Reikson & Ifritfireking for referencing _Nightmare on Elm Street_.

(2) The reference is from Marvel's _Daredevil_ with Ben Afleck and Jennifer Garner. Kudos to Velshard for getting this!

(3) By far the most obscure reference I've ever done. The pig Hollow was from Volume 5 of the manga, and the showers were meant to reference the 1982 movie _Porky's_ (pig in the girl's showers…?). Yeah, not a very clear reference.

The Poll has been officially closed! Thanks to everyone for taking part, and please look forward to the reveal chapter in the future! (keeping it a secret for now, but please look forward to it!) On to the reviews! OVER 100 REVIEWS! Thank you everyone for your comments and support! Your continued support is greatly appreciated!

**Ifritfireking** (I will take your word for it, as I've never watched a single one of those films. If it hasn't happened yet, Happy Upcoming (or Belated) 21st Birthday!); **Guest** (Anon(Here is the update)); **Elrichtheyouth** (Orihime's purpose is kinda nebulous at this point in my story. I'm not 100% sure what to do about her, if anything at all (I might just decide to say she died in the explosion and be done with it; again, nebulous). Tatsuki will show up more in the story, but her purpose is also a bit nebulous, but not as much as Orihime's. Please look forward to more of this story!); **Anon42** (Thanks for the compliments! I was definitely going for a bit of shock-value by offing Orihime, but there's definitely more to come.); **IceQueen1717** (Of course! It just takes my easily addled, distracted, and depressed mind a little while to figure out the process (I'm not being snarky, I am _easily_ distracted with video games and food; I am a male after all). Please look forward to future updates!); **Guest ** (Anon(I'm working on it, please be patient with me and enjoy this newest update.)); **Toaneo07 Ver2.0** (Succinct. Please look forward to more shocking moments in future updates!); **Chaosdevil16** (Thank you for the support! I apologize for the delay, but I have motivation issues, unfortunately. As for how condensed my story appears, it's because I'm shooting for a more manga-esque style of writing, which is "show, don't tell", meaning for everything to be in motion and very visual, rather than philosophical and explanatory. Not that there's anything wrong with that style, but shounen manga stories require a little more visual stimuli than what a novel would have. Please enjoy this update!); **Trife** (Well, here's the latest chapter. I will continue working on more.); **Twilight-Lloyd** (I'm glad you enjoyed that little Easter egg. Keeping track of all the moments in canon while reforming the world to my own vision is a trying task, but I can't write anything otherwise without knowing I'm still within the realm of the original creator's vision. Please enjoy this chapter, and please look forward to more!); **Guest** (Anon(I'm glad you're enjoying the changes to the canon. Orihime's purpose, and placement for that matter, in my story has reached a nebulous point; I am actually considering just removing her entirely from the rest of the story. The future elements, such as the Hougyouku, are always at the forefront while I'm writing, so please look forward to future developments!)); **Atsirk Enoh** (Anon(It's okay! It's okay. Tatsuki will recover and endure. Remember: Tatsuki is a fighter, and she won't take anything lying down. She's just hurt at the moment, and her time to shine will come in the future! Please look forward to it!); **OutlawKnight** (Glad to know you're enjoying it! Please expect more plot twists in the future!); **Guest** (Anon(Bravo, Sir or Madam! Happy Upcoming or Belated 19th Birthday!)); **Apfane Chan** (Sorry about that. Back in '11, I was so depressed that I went a year without updating, I put in a 2nd chapter announcing my retirement; but then, I went right back to it around October, since I still thought about it. My goal for the next update is to have 2 chapters ready so I can get rid of that bloody "Update" chapter. I'm glad you're enjoying the story! You'll find, as the story goes, I have a mean streak for main characters, so expect Ichigo to suffer a little bit more in the future; Thank you for your kind words! Please look forward to more of this story!); **felipe444** (Here's the latest update, please enjoy!); **kurokamiDG** (Thank you for you're support! My beef with Orihime is largely a personal one, but I refrained from "bashing" in a similar manner to other Authors, since I value her character in the canon, even if I don't _like_ her character. Still, please enjoy this update and look forward to more in the future!); **Reikson** (Um…I wouldn't call it a hostage; it was just a little fun, interactive mini-game for the readers. And I wouldn't know about _Nightmare on Elm Street_, never watched a single one of them. Please continue to support this story, and enjoy the new update!); **Genericrandom** (I'm flattered, truly. Thank you for your kind words! Please let me know how Soifon is now, after the latest series of rapid events. Enjoy the story!); **BukkakeNoJutsu** (Thank you! Please continue to support this story!); **Speed Ke'Dai** (I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'm kinda iffy about chapter lengths, and I'm intimidated by Author's that can chug out 10K and 20K word chapters (and don't get me started on the crazy few out there that can put out 100K words in a single chapter *shudder*). Please look forward to more updates in the future, and thank you for the support.); **reven228** (I can't confirm or deny that at this time, but please look forward to more surprisingly dark elements in this story. Thank you for your support!); **Fan** (Anon(Well, I've managed to cut down to 4 months, so I'm getting a little better ^_^')); **Mo Eazy** (Ah haha…*sweatdrop* Thank you for your enthusiastic support. I have the basis for my "Soul Society Rescue" set, but there are a few details to work out. Please look forward to more of this story, and thank you for the review!); **Tear-Stained-Book** (Yeah, taking out two of the primary characters from the canon was always part of my plan, and might be an element of a challenge I want to put out in the future. Please enjoy this update and look forward to more in the future!); **twilightrocks100** (Thank you for the review! Please enjoy the update!); **Platinumsabr** (I'm sorry to have let you down. Hopefully the next few updates will provide a little more clarity and structure for this story to settle down from the chaos that Orihime's death has caused. And, I will admit, the three-way fight was awkward, at best. It was different from anything I had ever visualized, so it was basically a test-run. Still, please look forward to more updates, and please continue to provide your insights on where this story is going. As an aside, my little Ichi/Tats moment was inspired by some of _your_ stories, so I'm glad you enjoyed it! Please continue to support this story!); **animecollector** (Maaaybe~ ^-^. Please look forward to future updates!); **Transcendent Oddity** (Well now, don't be spoiling anything in the reviews, k? ^_^' Please look forward to future updates!); **Antoinette Castellan** (Thank you for your support. Orihime, at this point in the story, is in a tenous place of non-existence, and I'm not absolutely sure what to do with her. Whether she is perma-dead or just gone from the storyline, I'm not overly interested in bringing her back up. Thank you for your suggestions, and please continue to support this story!); **Fangking2** (Why does that sound like an H-Doujin concept? ;D Still, I don't intend for there to be any competition between Soifon and Orihime for Ichigo's affection, but it's amusing to consider. Thank you for the review, and please look forward to future updates!); **batla** (Thank you for the review! I can't answer that just yet, please look forward to more developments in the future!); **WarmasterSamiel** (Thank you very much for your review! I'm glad you recognize how much impact a single change can be to a storyline. Please continue to support this story, and enjoy the new update!); **Velshard** (Lol for the Alien: Resurrection reference. I've got a decent layout of my plotline, it's just a matter of actually _writing_ the story (I'm easily distracted and have loss of motivation…*sweatdrop*). While I wasn't trying to "bash" Orihime, I will admit that removing her is a personal choice of mine since I'm not fond of her character. Thank you for taking part in the little mini-game, you got 2 out of 3, so great job. Please continue to support this story, and look forward to more updates in the future!); **Culebra del Sol** (Thank you for your enthusiastic support! I'm thankful for your kind words. Please look forward to future updates!); **blackout2010** (Yep. I'm glad to have surprised you with that development, and I hope to continue to surprise you in the future! So far, Tatsuki's purpose is in a nebulous place, but I'm more sure about her place in the story than Orihime's, if Orihime has any continued presence at all. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit worried about my story being taken down by the little MA content, but it's pretty frickin' tame compared to some stories on the site. Please look forward to more enjoyment in the future, and thank you for your continued support!); **xXxLKxXx** (Here it is!); **Archontruth** (I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for your review, and please enjoy the latest Ichigo/Soifon interactions!); **Naybi** (Kudos to you, Sir or Ma'am, for getting the little reference. As for Tatsuki, I'm still working on that. Please look forward to future updates, and thank you for the support!); **Slayer End** (Oh, I don't know about that~ ;). Please look forward to future updates and thank you for the review!); **music watch** (I'm glad you enjoyed the plot twist! I'm aware of the pm system, but I prefer to sing praises to my reviewers publicly. Thank you for your kind words, and please enjoy this latest update!); **Orchamus** (I'm pleased that your were surprised. Orihime's purpose and place in my story is nebulous at this point (I keep saying that; I can't find any other words that work in place of "nebulous"…damn thesaurus…), and Tatsuki is also at a bit of a cross-roads. Still, I hope to continue to surprise you, so please look forward to future updates, and thank you for your continued support!); **ecwscorpion209** (No guarantees, so please look forward to more updates in the future! Thanks for the review!); **ArtanisRose** (I'm sorry you were upset, but I'm happy for your enjoyment of the story. Thank you for the kind review, and please enjoy this latest update!); **Fiori75** (I didn't get too much flak, so I'm still standing. Thank you for your support! As for Tatsuki, just wait and see-ee~ Please enjoy the latest update, and please continue to support this story!); **Sedor** (Thank you so much for catching that mistake for me earlier, I _really_ don't know what came over me at the time. Major brain fart, ya know? Thank you for the review, and please enjoy the latest update!); **Thekilleregglord** (Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoy the latest Ichigo/Soifon interactions, and please look forward to more updates in the future!); **dalulzing** (Thank you! Please continue to support this story!); **Iceflame55** (Thank you very much for your kind review! I'm working towards a better update speed, but it's difficult, due to scatterbrain-ness. Please enjoy the latest update!)

Once again, thanks to everyone for the reviews and votes, and please wish me luck as I try to churn out the next update by 11/22!

Rhea: Ja ne!


	5. Update! New Chapter!

UPATE!UPDATE!UPDATE!

READ CHAPTER 4!

UPDATE!UPDATE!UPDATE!


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